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Hey guys, kanna here. Well, after going through the excitement of episodes 39-43 of Pokémon XY&Z, it's time we wrapped up the series with episodes 44-47.
Not much really happens in episode 44, except for everyone rebuilding Lumiose City. Clemont fixes Clembot, but its memories are gone because he kinda-sorta died (see previous post). A challenger comes in, wanting to challenge the Lumiose City Gym and won't battle anyone but Clembot for a rematch. Despite the fact that Clembot needs assistance with battles, the challenge takes place and the challenger gets his Gym Badge. Yay...? This was basically a filler episode, I think.
The next episode is a Serena focused episode. If you remember the beginning of the series, Serena went on her journey because she didn't want to become a Rhyhorn racer like her mom, and decided to become a Pokémon Performer. To cheer up the citizens of Lumiose City, she decides to put on a showcase with her friend and rival, Shauna. Jessie, in disguise, also joins in the showcase.
After the showcase, Serena has thoughts about her path going forward and she doesn't know what to do. Her mom arrives in Lumiose City, and Serena spends the night at the hotel with her mom as she thinks about what she wants to do going forward. Her mom decided not to keep her at home to be a Rhyhorn racer, so Serena wasn't sure what she wanted to do going forward.
The day after, Serena's mom leaves. We then find out the paths that Shauna, Trevor, Tierno, and Sawyer have chosen, before Ash suggests to Serena that they have a battle: Pikachu vs. Braixen. During the battle, Serena comes to a decision. She calls Palermo, Kalos Queen Aria's manager (?), who had previously offered to take Serena under her wing and mentor her so she could become Kalos Queen.
Serena declines the offer and reveals to Palermo that she wants to go places other than the Kalos region and thinks that she would behave like a spoiled child if she went with Palermo. Palermo reveals that this was her intention and that Serena was the first person to turn down her invitation. Serena reveals that she has no destination in mind at the moment, but then Palermo suggests that she go to the Hoenn region, where they have Pokémon Contests, and show her Pokémon off there.
Serena reveals her plan to Ash and co., who wish her the best.
The next episode is definitely on the more emotional side of things.
Ash releases Numelgon--I mean Goodra--back to its home, the wetlands. It's a pretty emotional goodbye. Even little Dedenne is in tears over it. It really kind of sucks that they had to release Goodra, but I understand why they did it.
After leaving the wetlands, Greninja jumps out of its pokéball and suddenly, a vine...ivy...thing from when the mind controlled Zygarde attacked Lumiose City comes up from underground. Greninja manages to destroy it by becoming Ash-Greninja, but we then find out why the vines are still coming up. One of Team Flare's members, Xerosic (I have no idea what his name is in the English dub, but this is how the subs refer to him, so we're going with it), wants to revive Team Flare and re-obtain Zygarde's power to get the world Lysandre wanted. He kidnapped a few Zygarde cells, as well.
Clemont gets kidnapped and Ash has Greninja follow the van...truck...thing that has Clemont. Xerosic reveals his sinister plan: he wants to reform Team Flare by brainwashing humans, and Clemont will be his first "member." Clemont gives up and asks to wipe his glasses as a last request. This is granted.
Cut back to Serena, Ash, and Bonnie. Ash continues to see through Greninja's eyes what's going on, and it's basically a game of cat and mouse, until they finally manage to catch up with the truck...van...thing that can apparently fly and turn invisible. Greninja manages to get them on board, and they climb inside the thing.
They see Clemont, but Xerosic is there, as well. He orders Clemont to go after Ash and the others, before Clemont reveals that Xerosic's plan was a failure. When Clemont went to wipe his glasses, he attached a device that...you know what? It's basically techno-babble from here, so I'm just going to move on. Point is, Xerosic's plan didn't work.
Ash and Clemont battle against Xerosic, who loses in the end. He then decides to (I'm not kidding here), jump out of the plane without a parachute. But Clemont manages to catch him with the Aipom Arm (one of his inventions) and Xerosic is later arrested by Officer Jenny. All seems well and good, until another vine comes out of nowhere and is about to attack Bonnie. A green light slices through the object, cutting it in two. The smoke clears, and...it's Squishy!
Bonnie hugs Squishy, but now isn't the time for a happy reunion, as Squishy asks Greninja to come with it. Greninja follows Squishy, and Greninja is followed by Ash and co., where they see Zygarde in its 50% forme. Zygarde and Squishy use telepathy to explain that the vines...ivies...whatever that were coming up throughout Kalos originated from negative energy deep within the land. What Zygarde destroyed was only the surface.
However, the wound from the incident with Team Flare caused was deep, and Squishy and Zygarde's 50% forme have been wiping out the vines scattered throughout Kalos one by one. You'd think this is easy, right?
You'd be wrong. Very wrong indeed. Pinpointing the location of the negative energy is a difficult task, even for Zygarde, but for whatever reason, Gekkouga--I mean Greninja--is able to see the negative energy. Zygarde asks for Greninja's help, but everyone realizes that this means they'd have to say goodbye to Greninja.
Ash asks Greninja what it wants to do, but it's unspoken that Greninja wants to help Zygarde. They can't have another incident like the one Team Flare caused happen again. After some sentimental stuff about how their meeting might have been fate, Ash wonders if it all led up to this moment in time.
In the end, Greninja decides to go with Zygarde, and the two share a pretty emotional goodbye. I mean it. They hug and everything. It's not as sad as when Ash released Charizard to the Charicific Valley, but it's still pretty emotional.
Squishy tells Bonnie it might be a while before they see each other again, but Bonnie understands and says that when she becomes a Pokémon Trainer, she'll find Squishy and they'll go on another adventure together. Everyone says goodbye to Gekkouga--I mean Greninja--and we go on to the next (and final) episode.
In the last episode of the series, this is the one where everyone goes their separate ways. Serena is off to Hoenn to participate in Pokémon Contests, Clemont is going to stay in Kalos with Bonnie, and Ash is heading back to the Kanto region. The only one who hasn't quite come to terms with all these goodbyes is Dedenne, as it's still a young Pokémon.
When everyone gets to the airport, all the Pokémon say goodbye to each other, but Dedenne throws a fit and runs away. Bonnie explains that she feels the same way as Dedenne, but understands that everyone has their own dreams they want to follow and tells Dedenne that her dream is to become a Pokémon Trainer, with Dedenne as her partner. Dedenne jumps out of hiding and right into Bonnie's arms.
All right, so after that, it's time for Serena's flight to Hoenn. Everyone says their goodbyes to her, but Serena has one last request from Ash. She goes up the escalator that's going down, and (I'm not kidding here) kisses Ash.
Okay, to be fair, that was more implied if anything. But if you saw the looks on Clemont and Bonnie's faces afterwards, then you could be pretty sure that they kissed.
Serena then heads off to her flight, and everyone says their goodbyes. It seems as if Ash has a lot of time, since his flight isn't until the evening. So Clemont suggests they have a battle: Bunnelby vs. Pikachu. And...that's kind of where it ends.
We get this little montage of flashbacks and what the characters are doing currently (including Goodra and Greninja), before Ash finally arrives in his hometown.
Thoughts: I WAS NOT READY FOR THIS SERIES TO END.
Seriously. It was that good. The animation was great, the writing was excellent...I feel like I could go on and on about how amazing this series was. Both XY and XY&Z were fantastic. When the final episode aired and I saw it (granted, it hasn't aired in the US yet, so I saw it with English subtitles), I was almost in tears because I wasn't ready for it to end.
There were so many twists and turns. I didn't expect for Ash to release Greninja, let alone for the idea to even come up. This series was emotional, and you could connect with each of the characters on an emotional level.
Well, see you guys next time! ~k
Not much really happens in episode 44, except for everyone rebuilding Lumiose City. Clemont fixes Clembot, but its memories are gone because he kinda-sorta died (see previous post). A challenger comes in, wanting to challenge the Lumiose City Gym and won't battle anyone but Clembot for a rematch. Despite the fact that Clembot needs assistance with battles, the challenge takes place and the challenger gets his Gym Badge. Yay...? This was basically a filler episode, I think.
The next episode is a Serena focused episode. If you remember the beginning of the series, Serena went on her journey because she didn't want to become a Rhyhorn racer like her mom, and decided to become a Pokémon Performer. To cheer up the citizens of Lumiose City, she decides to put on a showcase with her friend and rival, Shauna. Jessie, in disguise, also joins in the showcase.
After the showcase, Serena has thoughts about her path going forward and she doesn't know what to do. Her mom arrives in Lumiose City, and Serena spends the night at the hotel with her mom as she thinks about what she wants to do going forward. Her mom decided not to keep her at home to be a Rhyhorn racer, so Serena wasn't sure what she wanted to do going forward.
The day after, Serena's mom leaves. We then find out the paths that Shauna, Trevor, Tierno, and Sawyer have chosen, before Ash suggests to Serena that they have a battle: Pikachu vs. Braixen. During the battle, Serena comes to a decision. She calls Palermo, Kalos Queen Aria's manager (?), who had previously offered to take Serena under her wing and mentor her so she could become Kalos Queen.
Serena declines the offer and reveals to Palermo that she wants to go places other than the Kalos region and thinks that she would behave like a spoiled child if she went with Palermo. Palermo reveals that this was her intention and that Serena was the first person to turn down her invitation. Serena reveals that she has no destination in mind at the moment, but then Palermo suggests that she go to the Hoenn region, where they have Pokémon Contests, and show her Pokémon off there.
Serena reveals her plan to Ash and co., who wish her the best.
The next episode is definitely on the more emotional side of things.
Ash releases Numelgon--I mean Goodra--back to its home, the wetlands. It's a pretty emotional goodbye. Even little Dedenne is in tears over it. It really kind of sucks that they had to release Goodra, but I understand why they did it.
After leaving the wetlands, Greninja jumps out of its pokéball and suddenly, a vine...ivy...thing from when the mind controlled Zygarde attacked Lumiose City comes up from underground. Greninja manages to destroy it by becoming Ash-Greninja, but we then find out why the vines are still coming up. One of Team Flare's members, Xerosic (I have no idea what his name is in the English dub, but this is how the subs refer to him, so we're going with it), wants to revive Team Flare and re-obtain Zygarde's power to get the world Lysandre wanted. He kidnapped a few Zygarde cells, as well.
Clemont gets kidnapped and Ash has Greninja follow the van...truck...thing that has Clemont. Xerosic reveals his sinister plan: he wants to reform Team Flare by brainwashing humans, and Clemont will be his first "member." Clemont gives up and asks to wipe his glasses as a last request. This is granted.
Cut back to Serena, Ash, and Bonnie. Ash continues to see through Greninja's eyes what's going on, and it's basically a game of cat and mouse, until they finally manage to catch up with the truck...van...thing that can apparently fly and turn invisible. Greninja manages to get them on board, and they climb inside the thing.
They see Clemont, but Xerosic is there, as well. He orders Clemont to go after Ash and the others, before Clemont reveals that Xerosic's plan was a failure. When Clemont went to wipe his glasses, he attached a device that...you know what? It's basically techno-babble from here, so I'm just going to move on. Point is, Xerosic's plan didn't work.
Ash and Clemont battle against Xerosic, who loses in the end. He then decides to (I'm not kidding here), jump out of the plane without a parachute. But Clemont manages to catch him with the Aipom Arm (one of his inventions) and Xerosic is later arrested by Officer Jenny. All seems well and good, until another vine comes out of nowhere and is about to attack Bonnie. A green light slices through the object, cutting it in two. The smoke clears, and...it's Squishy!
Bonnie hugs Squishy, but now isn't the time for a happy reunion, as Squishy asks Greninja to come with it. Greninja follows Squishy, and Greninja is followed by Ash and co., where they see Zygarde in its 50% forme. Zygarde and Squishy use telepathy to explain that the vines...ivies...whatever that were coming up throughout Kalos originated from negative energy deep within the land. What Zygarde destroyed was only the surface.
However, the wound from the incident with Team Flare caused was deep, and Squishy and Zygarde's 50% forme have been wiping out the vines scattered throughout Kalos one by one. You'd think this is easy, right?
You'd be wrong. Very wrong indeed. Pinpointing the location of the negative energy is a difficult task, even for Zygarde, but for whatever reason, Gekkouga--I mean Greninja--is able to see the negative energy. Zygarde asks for Greninja's help, but everyone realizes that this means they'd have to say goodbye to Greninja.
Ash asks Greninja what it wants to do, but it's unspoken that Greninja wants to help Zygarde. They can't have another incident like the one Team Flare caused happen again. After some sentimental stuff about how their meeting might have been fate, Ash wonders if it all led up to this moment in time.
In the end, Greninja decides to go with Zygarde, and the two share a pretty emotional goodbye. I mean it. They hug and everything. It's not as sad as when Ash released Charizard to the Charicific Valley, but it's still pretty emotional.
Squishy tells Bonnie it might be a while before they see each other again, but Bonnie understands and says that when she becomes a Pokémon Trainer, she'll find Squishy and they'll go on another adventure together. Everyone says goodbye to Gekkouga--I mean Greninja--and we go on to the next (and final) episode.
In the last episode of the series, this is the one where everyone goes their separate ways. Serena is off to Hoenn to participate in Pokémon Contests, Clemont is going to stay in Kalos with Bonnie, and Ash is heading back to the Kanto region. The only one who hasn't quite come to terms with all these goodbyes is Dedenne, as it's still a young Pokémon.
When everyone gets to the airport, all the Pokémon say goodbye to each other, but Dedenne throws a fit and runs away. Bonnie explains that she feels the same way as Dedenne, but understands that everyone has their own dreams they want to follow and tells Dedenne that her dream is to become a Pokémon Trainer, with Dedenne as her partner. Dedenne jumps out of hiding and right into Bonnie's arms.
All right, so after that, it's time for Serena's flight to Hoenn. Everyone says their goodbyes to her, but Serena has one last request from Ash. She goes up the escalator that's going down, and (I'm not kidding here) kisses Ash.
Okay, to be fair, that was more implied if anything. But if you saw the looks on Clemont and Bonnie's faces afterwards, then you could be pretty sure that they kissed.
Serena then heads off to her flight, and everyone says their goodbyes. It seems as if Ash has a lot of time, since his flight isn't until the evening. So Clemont suggests they have a battle: Bunnelby vs. Pikachu. And...that's kind of where it ends.
We get this little montage of flashbacks and what the characters are doing currently (including Goodra and Greninja), before Ash finally arrives in his hometown.
Thoughts: I WAS NOT READY FOR THIS SERIES TO END.
Seriously. It was that good. The animation was great, the writing was excellent...I feel like I could go on and on about how amazing this series was. Both XY and XY&Z were fantastic. When the final episode aired and I saw it (granted, it hasn't aired in the US yet, so I saw it with English subtitles), I was almost in tears because I wasn't ready for it to end.
There were so many twists and turns. I didn't expect for Ash to release Greninja, let alone for the idea to even come up. This series was emotional, and you could connect with each of the characters on an emotional level.
Well, see you guys next time! ~k
Hey guys, kanna here. Well, now that this season of Pokémon has concluded, it's time for me to give it what it deserves. Let's get started!
I'll be talking about the tail end of the series (episodes 39-47). Because this is so many episodes, I'm making this two parts. So this post will cover episodes 39-43, and the next will cover 44-47. Not that the rest of the series isn't important, but I feel that these last few episodes were the highlight of this season of Pokémon. Additionally, I'll be using the names of the characters and Pokémon that are used in the English dub and the games. I feel it will make things less confusing. However, if I slip up, I slip up. I'll correct it.
So, after a long and intense battle against Alain in the final round of the Pokémon League, Ash lost (again). I have to ask: is it statistically impossible for this kid to win a Pokémon League? It seems like there's some mathematical formula the writers are following to make it so that he loses every single time. I just...ugh! Writers, sometimes you make no sense.
Anyway, after a long battle against Alain, these vines...ivies...whatever come out of nowhere and start destroying everything in sight. A Zygarde in its 50% forme
created by merging Z-2 (one of the sentient cells to form Zygarde) along with other Zygarde cells
wreaks havoc on Lumiose City as it's controlled by Team Flare. Squishy (aka Z-1) merges with other Zygarde cells to form Zygarde's 10% forme (I don't know why the spelling is the way it is), which takes the form of a large dog for some reason (don't ask; I don't get it, either. Also, sorry I can't put a picture...stupid Blogger).
Meanwhile, Ash gets kidnapped by Team Flare and he and Alain find out that Alain was being used by Team Flare's boss, Lysandre, the entire time. Lysandre tries to use the same energy that controlled Z-2 (aka Mega Evolution energy) to control the power of the Bond Phenomenon between Ash and Gekkouga--I mean Greninja (told you there would be slip ups). However, he fails in this, and Ash is set free thanks to the Bond Phenomenon between him and Gek--I mean Greninja. This is REALLY hard.
Ash and co. find out that Puni-chan--I mean Squishy...G-d this is hard--is actually Zygarde. Alain decides to join forces with Ash and fight Lysandre. However, just when things seem to be taking a turn for the worst, Malva (I might have her name wrong, but that's how I think it's spelled; in the Japanese version, it's Pachira), a member of Team Flare, turns against Lysandre. She didn't realize that he wanted to destroy the world, and wants to put her faith in Ash and Alain. So the fight becomes three on one.
Cut to Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont. They're fighting off Team Flare admins to regain control over the Lumiose Gym, when they're joined by Prof. Sycamore, Blaziken Mask, and Mega Blaziken. Bonnie goes after Squishy, because she can "sense" (I'm using that super loosely) Squishy is losing. Clemont leaves to go and take back his gym with Clembot, and the two manage to take the gym back, but not without great sacrifice.
Yep, Clembot sacrifices himself to destroy the machine controlling Z-2. While I'm sure there are a million other ways this could have been done, it was actually pretty sad for Clemont to sacrifice his invention. The two actually share a pretty emotional moment before Clemont is forced to push the button that will ultimately destroy Clembot.
Squishy tries to communicate with the mind-controlled Z-2, but Z-2 can't hear anything because of the mind control. Eventually, Squishy ends up transforming into Zygarde's 50% form, which looks like the Zygarde we all know and love. This is exactly what Team Flare wants. They brainwash Squishy, and both Z-2 and Squishy start wreaking havoc on Lumiose City.
Serena, Mairin, and Prof. Sycamore infiltrate the Team Flare Laboratory with the help of the Hoenn League Champion, Steven Stone and Team Rocket. They rescue Mairin's Harimaron--I mean Chespin--who is still asleep and glowing green. Well, that can't be a good thing.
Cut back to Bonnie, who has gone after the mind-controlled Squishy with Mega Blaziken and Blaziken Mask. Upon finding Squishy, she shouts at it and says stuff like "You don't really want to do these things, do you?"
Unfortunately, this doesn't work and Bonnie is nearly killed by an attack from Squishy, until she is saved by Blaziken Mask. She continues to try to reach Squishy, but ends up falling to her hands and knees in tears. In one last attempt, she sings Squishy's song, and through the power of love, is able to break Squishy's mind-control. I couldn't make that up if I tried.
OK, maybe it wasn't the power of love. But that's what I'm going with, because...I have no other explanation. They don't share a Bond Phenomenon like Ash and Greninja do, so I'm going with the whole "power of love" thing (as cheesy as it is).
For the record, it's probably going to be better in the original Japanese than the English dub. The English dub of episodes 42-47 haven't aired in the US yet.
Ash, Malva, and Alain defeat Lysandre, who says that this won't be the end of his plan, and he (I'm not kidding here) falls off the edge of Prism Tower. I really wonder how they're going to handle this in the English dub. I mean, it's not like they show people falling off of tall buildings to their untimely demise in kids shows. Right?
Um...following that, Ash and Alain go to Clemont at the Lumiose City Gym, as he grieves over the loss of Clembot. He regains his resolve and rejoins the fight. They all board this giant helicopter...thing.
We cut back to Serena, Mairin, Steven Stone, and Prof. Sycamore, who are trying to...I'm not really sure what, but there's this crystal in the room that emits the same energy as Mega Stones during Mega Evolution. Mairin's Chespin gets absorbed by the crystal, and it comes to life. Serena, Mairin, Steven Stone, and Prof. Sycamore manage to escape the laboratory, but the crystal transforms into a giant crystal Zygarde (the English subs from the original Japanese referred to this as a megalith. I'm not sure what they'll do in the English dub).
Meanwhile, Bonnie and Squishy encounter Z-2, who still has hatred towards humans after being mind-controlled and forced to wreak havoc on the city. Squishy urges Z-2 to give the humans a chance, so Z-2 joins Bonnie, Blaziken, and Blaziken Mask as it observes the humans' attempt to defeat Lysandre.
The giant crystal Zygarde starts heading to Anistar City, home of psychic Gym Leader Olympia, who issues a psychic call (don't ask). All hope seems lost until our heroes are reunited with the Kalos League Champion, Diantha, as well as the gym leaders. Everyone makes a pathway for Ash and Alain to get through so they can get inside the crystal Zygarde and get Mairin's Chespin out. They do, and everyone attacks the crystal Zygarde, just to make sure it's down for good.
Unfortunately, this doesn't work, as Lysandre survived the fall (no, I don't get it) and the device he wears around his wrist is what's controlling the crystal Zygarde. It continues to advance and attack, and ultimately knocks our heroes and everyone else to the ground. Blaziken Mask's identity is revealed to be Clemont and Bonnie's father.
Z-2 comes to the realization that there are good humans in the world and it needs to believe in them. So Z-2 and Squishy join together with every Zygarde cell in the world to form Zygarde's 100% forme (sorry for the lack of a picture...apparently Blogger will cooperate with some pictures and not with others). Zygarde defeats Lysandre. Rather, it kills Lysandre (I'm really not sure how they'll do this in the English dub), and Lumiose City is left to rebuild and ultimately start over.
Thoughts: I freaking loved these episodes. I was a little sad because this conflict meant that we were drawing close to the end of the series, and this is arguably one of the best series since the Diamond and Pearl era. I'm sorry, but Black and White sucked. This definitely made up for it. Diamond and Pearl was just okay, Black and White sucked, but XY and XY&Z were ultimately the best since Diamond and Pearl.
The animation is fantastic, and while it does feel like the "Ash-Greninja Show," we see almost all the Pokémon helping out. The "bond phenomenon" is an interesting concept that had never been done before in Pokémon. While it isn't explained how it differs from Mega Evolution, other than the fact that it doesn't need a Mega Stone or a Key Stone, it's still an interesting concept that I wish the writers had delved a little deeper into.
Overall, these were some of the best episodes in all of XY and XY&Z. See you guys in part 2, where I talk about episodes 44-47.
I'll be talking about the tail end of the series (episodes 39-47). Because this is so many episodes, I'm making this two parts. So this post will cover episodes 39-43, and the next will cover 44-47. Not that the rest of the series isn't important, but I feel that these last few episodes were the highlight of this season of Pokémon. Additionally, I'll be using the names of the characters and Pokémon that are used in the English dub and the games. I feel it will make things less confusing. However, if I slip up, I slip up. I'll correct it.
So, after a long and intense battle against Alain in the final round of the Pokémon League, Ash lost (again). I have to ask: is it statistically impossible for this kid to win a Pokémon League? It seems like there's some mathematical formula the writers are following to make it so that he loses every single time. I just...ugh! Writers, sometimes you make no sense.
Anyway, after a long battle against Alain, these vines...ivies...whatever come out of nowhere and start destroying everything in sight. A Zygarde in its 50% forme
 |
| Zygarde 50% forme |
 |
| Zygarde Cell |
 |
| Zygarde Core (this is Squishy) |
Meanwhile, Ash gets kidnapped by Team Flare and he and Alain find out that Alain was being used by Team Flare's boss, Lysandre, the entire time. Lysandre tries to use the same energy that controlled Z-2 (aka Mega Evolution energy) to control the power of the Bond Phenomenon between Ash and Gekkouga--I mean Greninja (told you there would be slip ups). However, he fails in this, and Ash is set free thanks to the Bond Phenomenon between him and Gek--I mean Greninja. This is REALLY hard.
Ash and co. find out that Puni-chan--I mean Squishy...G-d this is hard--is actually Zygarde. Alain decides to join forces with Ash and fight Lysandre. However, just when things seem to be taking a turn for the worst, Malva (I might have her name wrong, but that's how I think it's spelled; in the Japanese version, it's Pachira), a member of Team Flare, turns against Lysandre. She didn't realize that he wanted to destroy the world, and wants to put her faith in Ash and Alain. So the fight becomes three on one.
Cut to Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont. They're fighting off Team Flare admins to regain control over the Lumiose Gym, when they're joined by Prof. Sycamore, Blaziken Mask, and Mega Blaziken. Bonnie goes after Squishy, because she can "sense" (I'm using that super loosely) Squishy is losing. Clemont leaves to go and take back his gym with Clembot, and the two manage to take the gym back, but not without great sacrifice.
Yep, Clembot sacrifices himself to destroy the machine controlling Z-2. While I'm sure there are a million other ways this could have been done, it was actually pretty sad for Clemont to sacrifice his invention. The two actually share a pretty emotional moment before Clemont is forced to push the button that will ultimately destroy Clembot.
Squishy tries to communicate with the mind-controlled Z-2, but Z-2 can't hear anything because of the mind control. Eventually, Squishy ends up transforming into Zygarde's 50% form, which looks like the Zygarde we all know and love. This is exactly what Team Flare wants. They brainwash Squishy, and both Z-2 and Squishy start wreaking havoc on Lumiose City.
Serena, Mairin, and Prof. Sycamore infiltrate the Team Flare Laboratory with the help of the Hoenn League Champion, Steven Stone and Team Rocket. They rescue Mairin's Harimaron--I mean Chespin--who is still asleep and glowing green. Well, that can't be a good thing.
Cut back to Bonnie, who has gone after the mind-controlled Squishy with Mega Blaziken and Blaziken Mask. Upon finding Squishy, she shouts at it and says stuff like "You don't really want to do these things, do you?"
Unfortunately, this doesn't work and Bonnie is nearly killed by an attack from Squishy, until she is saved by Blaziken Mask. She continues to try to reach Squishy, but ends up falling to her hands and knees in tears. In one last attempt, she sings Squishy's song, and through the power of love, is able to break Squishy's mind-control. I couldn't make that up if I tried.
OK, maybe it wasn't the power of love. But that's what I'm going with, because...I have no other explanation. They don't share a Bond Phenomenon like Ash and Greninja do, so I'm going with the whole "power of love" thing (as cheesy as it is).
For the record, it's probably going to be better in the original Japanese than the English dub. The English dub of episodes 42-47 haven't aired in the US yet.
Ash, Malva, and Alain defeat Lysandre, who says that this won't be the end of his plan, and he (I'm not kidding here) falls off the edge of Prism Tower. I really wonder how they're going to handle this in the English dub. I mean, it's not like they show people falling off of tall buildings to their untimely demise in kids shows. Right?
Um...following that, Ash and Alain go to Clemont at the Lumiose City Gym, as he grieves over the loss of Clembot. He regains his resolve and rejoins the fight. They all board this giant helicopter...thing.
We cut back to Serena, Mairin, Steven Stone, and Prof. Sycamore, who are trying to...I'm not really sure what, but there's this crystal in the room that emits the same energy as Mega Stones during Mega Evolution. Mairin's Chespin gets absorbed by the crystal, and it comes to life. Serena, Mairin, Steven Stone, and Prof. Sycamore manage to escape the laboratory, but the crystal transforms into a giant crystal Zygarde (the English subs from the original Japanese referred to this as a megalith. I'm not sure what they'll do in the English dub).
Meanwhile, Bonnie and Squishy encounter Z-2, who still has hatred towards humans after being mind-controlled and forced to wreak havoc on the city. Squishy urges Z-2 to give the humans a chance, so Z-2 joins Bonnie, Blaziken, and Blaziken Mask as it observes the humans' attempt to defeat Lysandre.
The giant crystal Zygarde starts heading to Anistar City, home of psychic Gym Leader Olympia, who issues a psychic call (don't ask). All hope seems lost until our heroes are reunited with the Kalos League Champion, Diantha, as well as the gym leaders. Everyone makes a pathway for Ash and Alain to get through so they can get inside the crystal Zygarde and get Mairin's Chespin out. They do, and everyone attacks the crystal Zygarde, just to make sure it's down for good.
Unfortunately, this doesn't work, as Lysandre survived the fall (no, I don't get it) and the device he wears around his wrist is what's controlling the crystal Zygarde. It continues to advance and attack, and ultimately knocks our heroes and everyone else to the ground. Blaziken Mask's identity is revealed to be Clemont and Bonnie's father.
Z-2 comes to the realization that there are good humans in the world and it needs to believe in them. So Z-2 and Squishy join together with every Zygarde cell in the world to form Zygarde's 100% forme (sorry for the lack of a picture...apparently Blogger will cooperate with some pictures and not with others). Zygarde defeats Lysandre. Rather, it kills Lysandre (I'm really not sure how they'll do this in the English dub), and Lumiose City is left to rebuild and ultimately start over.
Thoughts: I freaking loved these episodes. I was a little sad because this conflict meant that we were drawing close to the end of the series, and this is arguably one of the best series since the Diamond and Pearl era. I'm sorry, but Black and White sucked. This definitely made up for it. Diamond and Pearl was just okay, Black and White sucked, but XY and XY&Z were ultimately the best since Diamond and Pearl.
The animation is fantastic, and while it does feel like the "Ash-Greninja Show," we see almost all the Pokémon helping out. The "bond phenomenon" is an interesting concept that had never been done before in Pokémon. While it isn't explained how it differs from Mega Evolution, other than the fact that it doesn't need a Mega Stone or a Key Stone, it's still an interesting concept that I wish the writers had delved a little deeper into.
Overall, these were some of the best episodes in all of XY and XY&Z. See you guys in part 2, where I talk about episodes 44-47.
Hey guys, kanna here. And...
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I was originally going to have Pennywise (for those who don't know, Pennywise is the clown from It) greet you all with a happy Halloween, but in light of the clown incidents that have been going on here in the U.S. (no, I don't understand it), I decided not to.
Well, it's Halloween, meaning I have to review a horror anime. But not only is it Halloween, it's the two year anniversary of Anime Mondays! So this review has to be special!
Today, we're talking about...well...a series where I'm only going to use its Japanese name. Why? Well...the word "jigoku" is Japanese for a word that could cause a lot of religious controversy, which is typically something I try to avoid (actually, I try to avoid causing any kind of controversy, but that's beside the point). But, I've decided to give in and review it anyway. Let's go!
Not much to say development wise, so we'll jump straight to the plot.
There is a website called...okay, you know what? I can't keep censoring the word by only using its Japanese name. It's just making me too confused. The word is...H**l. There. Happy? I censored it in a way where I can avoid religious controversy (I think).
Anyway, there is a rumor/legend of a website called H**l Correspondence, which can only be accessed at midnight. You type in someone's name, and a girl known as "H**l Girl" will take that person straight to H**l.
However, according to the series (and I guess real life, if you believe in karma), to curse a person is to dig two graves. So, when the person who sent the other guy to H**l dies, they will go to H**l, as well.
This series doesn't really have a set order until the eighth episode of the first season. Each episode is basically the same: character has a problem caused by someone, they try to deal with it and can't, and use H**l Correspondence.
If only H**l Correspondence were that simple. When someone's name is typed in, the person who typed in their antagonist's name is taken to what is simply known as the Twilight Realm, where H**l Girl, Ai Enma, resides with her companions, Ren, Wanyuudo, Hone-Onna, Kikuri (we don't meet her until season 2) and Yamawaro (we don't meet him until season 3).
The person receives a black straw doll with a red string tied around its neck. All the person has to do is pull the string, and their antagonist is taken straight to H**l. The decision of whether or not to pull the string rests with the person who typed in the name of their antagonist.
So, yeah. The series is pretty formulaic at first.
Character A is being put through a literal H**l by Character B, Character A uses H**l Correspondence receives the doll, Character A debates whether or not to use it, something happens that ultimately makes Character A pull the string, and H**l Girl and her companions torment Character B, before H**l Girl ferries him/her to H**l. Things seemingly get better for Character A, who then receives a crest-shaped mark on their chest to serve as an eternal reminder of his/her decision and that when he/she dies, H**l Girl will ferry his/her soul to H**l, too.
It's not until the eighth episode of the first season where we meet people who try to interfere with H**l Girl, but we later learn that H**l Correspondence didn't just exist in modern times, but it has been around since before the internet was even invented. We learn more about Ai and that the cycle of hate isn't something that can be interfered with.
This is going to be one of my shorter reviews, because I don't have a ton of time on my hands right now, and the series itself is pretty formulaic.
Rating: 3/10
Why: THIS ISN'T SCARY! You'd think an anime about a girl who takes people's souls to H**l would be downright terrifying! Which it is...in the live action version. But we're talking about the anime in this, and in all three seasons, there is nothing scary that happens. Nothing.
Okay, correction. There is ONE KIND OF scary thing. Kikuri, who we meet in season 2, is actually kind of creepy. She's so childlike and so creepy at the same time, it's actually a little disturbing. We later find out (spoiler) she's actually a vessel for the god of H**l, who takes the form of a spider (I hate spiders...*shudders*). So there's one scene where (I couldn't make this up if I tried) Kikuri grows a third eye, her head falls right off of her body and grows spider legs and starts walking. I'll admit, that's kind of creepy.
Other than that, though, there is NOTHING scary in this anime. Now, you could argue and say that the torment that Ai and her companions put the antagonists of each episode through is kind of scary in the later seasons. And it is...to an extent. I feel like the creators of this anime are like most American horror movie makers: they're trying too hard to be scary.
The music is great, and possibly the only redeeming thing about this series to make its fear factor go up just a little bit. Each track sounds great and fits right in with the scene. I especially love this scene's music where Ai tells us that we will know her wrath. Believe it or not, this scene was actually a tad scarier in the English dub than the Japanese. But that might have just been the voice acting. For example (this is towards the end of the first season, so spoiler alert):
If you want to have a good scare, watch the live action version of this anime. Trust me, it's MUCH better than this, and it's actually scary. I mean, the third episode of the live action...well, don't listen to me talk about it. If you want a good scare for Halloween, watch the live action adaptation.
Hey guys, kanna here. And welcome to your second Anime Monday of Halloween Month! I'm still looking for a good name for this, so suggestions are welcome. If nothing clicks, at least let me know (please).
Today's anime that we'll be taking a look at is a little bizarre, but that's to be expected for Halloween. We're looking at supernatural/horror anime this whole month. And this one is a little more on the supernatural side...with a few bits of creepiness thrown in. This is...Parasyte -the maxim-.
One night, worm-like creatures known as parasites (by the way, don't ask about the spelling for this series, I have no idea why it's like that) come to Earth and start taking over the brains of most of the humans. One parasite tries to get into Shinichi's brain by entering through Shinichi's ear.
However, Shinichi is wearing headphones, so the parasite then tries entering by burrowing through Shinichi's right arm. Shinichi feels this, and manages to stop the parasite before it reaches his brain. This results in the parasite taking residence in Shinichi's right hand and both his brain and the parasite's being able to retain their own intellect and personality.
Shinichi has to learn how to coexist with the parasite that now resides in his body and has a mind of its own, so he names it Migi (the Japanese word for right--as in the direction). This causes several problems for Shinichi, however, because other parasites who have managed to successfully take over human brains realize that Shinichi's brain is still intact try to kill him and Migi.
Shinichi eventually feels compelled to fight against these other parasites with the help of Migi (who doesn't feel emotions...pretty much anything, so he just goes along with Shinichi because he doesn't really have a choice).
Much like a superhero with a secret identity, Shinichi has to come up with all kinds of excuses to explain his parasite-fighting. Eventually, he starts to form a somewhat-one-sided bond with Migi as the two fight off the parasites so that Shinichi isn't used as a lab experiment or anything like that.
Rating: um...wow, this one is actually really hard to give a proper rating. I guess I'd have to say 5/10, but that's not really a rating I'm proud of. Help?
Why: First off, it's Madhouse, so most of their anime series are hit or miss. And...while I feel like this was more on the miss side of things, it's not entirely Madhouse's fault.
Sure, the animation could be better in some areas, and the fight scenes are incredibly hard to follow, but most of the fault for why it's more of a miss than a hit lies with the overall storyline, which the anime adapted from the manga.
It's not that it's a bad storyline, it just...isn't executed well. I don't know why; it's a relatively simple storyline. I don't understand how they couldn't properly execute it. I mean, the idea of aliens taking over people's bodies has been used countless times in TV and movies (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, anyone?), so you'd think this would be an easy storyline to execute. But, no. It didn't carry over.
The story can't seem to decide what genre it wants to be: romance, sci-fi, horror...it's too confusing. The character development is all over the place. I just...it's hard to really describe what's wrong with this show, other than I consider it overrated.
I will say this, though. The opening, "Let Me Hear," by Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas, is pretty awesome. It's their first (and I think only) song that's almost entirely in English, and while their English does need some work, it's an overall good effort, and I applaud them for trying. I didn't think I'd like the song, considering it's a heavy metal song, and I don't really like heavy metal. I don't hate it; it's just not my favorite genre and I'm kind of picky about it. The ending, "It's the Right Time," by Daichi Miura, was just okay. Not good, not bad, just okay.
Overall, if you're into psychological/sci-fi/kinda-sorta-horror thrillers, then this anime is for you. If not, I'd suggest checking out a different anime this month.
Sorry this was on the shorter side of things...I'll try to make my Anime Mondays for this month longer, promise!
Leave suggestions for next week's Anime Monday in the comments! It must be horror/supernatural! ~k
Today's anime that we'll be taking a look at is a little bizarre, but that's to be expected for Halloween. We're looking at supernatural/horror anime this whole month. And this one is a little more on the supernatural side...with a few bits of creepiness thrown in. This is...Parasyte -the maxim-.
So, let's talk about development.
Parasyte -the maxim- started out as a sci-fi/horror manga series written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaki. And...that's really all you need to know. The manga series was so popular that it got an anime adaptation produced by Madhouse, and that aired from October 9, 2014 to March 26, 2015. Again, pretty much all you need to know.
So, unfortunately, like Rosario + Vampire, this review is going to be on the shorter side of things. I know I promised a longer one, and I'll do my best to make it longer, but I make no promises.
Anyway, the series revolves around a high school student named Shinichi Izumi. He lives with his parents in a quiet neighborhood in Tokyo, and lives a normal, human life. He goes to school, has friends...things couldn't be more peaceful, right?
WRONG. If things were peaceful, we wouldn't have this series, would we?
One night, worm-like creatures known as parasites (by the way, don't ask about the spelling for this series, I have no idea why it's like that) come to Earth and start taking over the brains of most of the humans. One parasite tries to get into Shinichi's brain by entering through Shinichi's ear.
However, Shinichi is wearing headphones, so the parasite then tries entering by burrowing through Shinichi's right arm. Shinichi feels this, and manages to stop the parasite before it reaches his brain. This results in the parasite taking residence in Shinichi's right hand and both his brain and the parasite's being able to retain their own intellect and personality.
Shinichi has to learn how to coexist with the parasite that now resides in his body and has a mind of its own, so he names it Migi (the Japanese word for right--as in the direction). This causes several problems for Shinichi, however, because other parasites who have managed to successfully take over human brains realize that Shinichi's brain is still intact try to kill him and Migi.
Shinichi eventually feels compelled to fight against these other parasites with the help of Migi (who doesn't feel emotions...pretty much anything, so he just goes along with Shinichi because he doesn't really have a choice).
Much like a superhero with a secret identity, Shinichi has to come up with all kinds of excuses to explain his parasite-fighting. Eventually, he starts to form a somewhat-one-sided bond with Migi as the two fight off the parasites so that Shinichi isn't used as a lab experiment or anything like that.
Rating: um...wow, this one is actually really hard to give a proper rating. I guess I'd have to say 5/10, but that's not really a rating I'm proud of. Help?
Why: First off, it's Madhouse, so most of their anime series are hit or miss. And...while I feel like this was more on the miss side of things, it's not entirely Madhouse's fault.
Sure, the animation could be better in some areas, and the fight scenes are incredibly hard to follow, but most of the fault for why it's more of a miss than a hit lies with the overall storyline, which the anime adapted from the manga.
It's not that it's a bad storyline, it just...isn't executed well. I don't know why; it's a relatively simple storyline. I don't understand how they couldn't properly execute it. I mean, the idea of aliens taking over people's bodies has been used countless times in TV and movies (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, anyone?), so you'd think this would be an easy storyline to execute. But, no. It didn't carry over.
The story can't seem to decide what genre it wants to be: romance, sci-fi, horror...it's too confusing. The character development is all over the place. I just...it's hard to really describe what's wrong with this show, other than I consider it overrated.
I will say this, though. The opening, "Let Me Hear," by Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas, is pretty awesome. It's their first (and I think only) song that's almost entirely in English, and while their English does need some work, it's an overall good effort, and I applaud them for trying. I didn't think I'd like the song, considering it's a heavy metal song, and I don't really like heavy metal. I don't hate it; it's just not my favorite genre and I'm kind of picky about it. The ending, "It's the Right Time," by Daichi Miura, was just okay. Not good, not bad, just okay.
Overall, if you're into psychological/sci-fi/kinda-sorta-horror thrillers, then this anime is for you. If not, I'd suggest checking out a different anime this month.
Sorry this was on the shorter side of things...I'll try to make my Anime Mondays for this month longer, promise!
Leave suggestions for next week's Anime Monday in the comments! It must be horror/supernatural! ~k
Hey guys, kanna here. And welcome to Halloween-month! Um...ani-ween? Hallo-me? We really need to come up with a better name for this. I mean, the Nostalgia Critic has Nostalgia-ween, and that works, but I can't come up with anything for my Halloween-themed posts. Nothing sounds right. Suggestions? Hm...now that I think about it, nothing really works, so we'll just call this Halloween Anime Mondays (but that spells H.A.M...now I'm overthinking this).
Anyway, I thought I'd start the month off by reviewing something that's more of a comedy, but has monsters in it, so therefore, it counts for Halloween. Say hello to Rosario + Vampire.
So, where to start? Well, Rosario + Vampire originally started out as a manga written and illustrated by Akihisa Ikeda. Inspiration came from the manga series, Kaibutsu-kun (a monster manga series), as well as some works by the the warped mindset of Tim Burton, such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands (not that those aren't great movies, and Tim Burton is a talented director, but some of his movies are a little messed up).
Like I said, this series is a little more on the comedic side of things. So I'll try to make this as funny as possible, but given my sense of humor, I make no promises.
The series revolves around a boy named Tsukune Aono, a middle school student who failed the exams to get into the local high schools. However, there was one school that he could get into, despite his bad grades: Yokai Academy. The twist: Yokai Academy is a school for monsters, and if a human comes into the picture, the penalty is death. So Tsukune has to keep his human identity under wraps.
The first person Tsukune meets is a vampire named Moka Akashiya, and through this meeting, he is convinced to stay. Moka wears a rosary around her neck that she can't remove herself, but if someone took it off, an "honest to goodness vampire" would come out. Tsukune also meets Kurumu Kurono (a succubus), Yukari Sendo (a witch), and Mizore Shirayuki (a snow fairy). They all become friends, and the girls fight over Tsukune.
There isn't really much of a summary to give, as the show is pretty formulaic. So this is going to be one of my shorter reviews, and we'll just skip right to the rating.
Rating: um...4/10
Why: The show is pretty formulaic. We have a monster of the week that has to be fought, so Tsukune takes off Moka's rosary. Tsukune shows his kindness and acceptance of the other monsters, and nothing of major importance really happens until the end of each season.
There is fan service, but it's geared more towards boys, and most girls (excluding the LGBTQ community) would feel pretty uncomfortable seeing all these up-skirt angles and Tsukune being a total pervert.
This series tries to pass off as a romance series, but the romance is actually sexual harassment. Don't believe me? Look at what someone on MyAnimeList had to say about it: Seven Anime That Pass Off Sexual Harassment as Romance. Rosario + Vampire is towards the bottom.
Additionally, there isn't really anything that defines the characters beyond their physical appearance. While they do have their own personality traits, these are all downplayed by all the fan service that the animators want to give the audience. It's really kind of annoying (but that could be just me, because I'm a straight female, and clearly not the target audience).
The few things that give this series its redemption are the different songs used for the opening and ending, which are all sung by Moka's voice actress, Nana Mizuki. The opening for the first season was "Cosmic Love," and the ending theme was "Dancing in the Velvet Moon." For the second season, the opening was "DISCOTHEQUE" and the ending was "Trinity Cross."
So...yeah. One of my shorter reviews, but the others will be longer (I hope).
Anyway, I thought I'd start the month off by reviewing something that's more of a comedy, but has monsters in it, so therefore, it counts for Halloween. Say hello to Rosario + Vampire.
Yeah. Because I can't seem to get out of the realm of vampires, except for those TWO ANIME MONDAYS about werewolves (Wolf Children) and card games (Yu-Gi-Oh: The Dark Side of Dimensions). Hopefully, next week, the vampires will be gone for good. Because these vampire anime reviews are energy draining (tee hee...draining...and it's about vampires...okay, bad joke).
Like I said, this series is a little more on the comedic side of things. So I'll try to make this as funny as possible, but given my sense of humor, I make no promises.
The series revolves around a boy named Tsukune Aono, a middle school student who failed the exams to get into the local high schools. However, there was one school that he could get into, despite his bad grades: Yokai Academy. The twist: Yokai Academy is a school for monsters, and if a human comes into the picture, the penalty is death. So Tsukune has to keep his human identity under wraps.
The first person Tsukune meets is a vampire named Moka Akashiya, and through this meeting, he is convinced to stay. Moka wears a rosary around her neck that she can't remove herself, but if someone took it off, an "honest to goodness vampire" would come out. Tsukune also meets Kurumu Kurono (a succubus), Yukari Sendo (a witch), and Mizore Shirayuki (a snow fairy). They all become friends, and the girls fight over Tsukune.
There isn't really much of a summary to give, as the show is pretty formulaic. So this is going to be one of my shorter reviews, and we'll just skip right to the rating.
Rating: um...4/10
Why: The show is pretty formulaic. We have a monster of the week that has to be fought, so Tsukune takes off Moka's rosary. Tsukune shows his kindness and acceptance of the other monsters, and nothing of major importance really happens until the end of each season.
There is fan service, but it's geared more towards boys, and most girls (excluding the LGBTQ community) would feel pretty uncomfortable seeing all these up-skirt angles and Tsukune being a total pervert.
This series tries to pass off as a romance series, but the romance is actually sexual harassment. Don't believe me? Look at what someone on MyAnimeList had to say about it: Seven Anime That Pass Off Sexual Harassment as Romance. Rosario + Vampire is towards the bottom.
Additionally, there isn't really anything that defines the characters beyond their physical appearance. While they do have their own personality traits, these are all downplayed by all the fan service that the animators want to give the audience. It's really kind of annoying (but that could be just me, because I'm a straight female, and clearly not the target audience).
The few things that give this series its redemption are the different songs used for the opening and ending, which are all sung by Moka's voice actress, Nana Mizuki. The opening for the first season was "Cosmic Love," and the ending theme was "Dancing in the Velvet Moon." For the second season, the opening was "DISCOTHEQUE" and the ending was "Trinity Cross."
So...yeah. One of my shorter reviews, but the others will be longer (I hope).
Hey guys, kanna here. Well, after a lot of thought and talk with my friends, who suggested I review Mushishi and Re:Zero, I decided to do my thoughts on the new Yu-Gi-Oh! movie, The Dark Side of Dimensions. Why? Well, there's two reasons for that.
1. Mushishi and Re:Zero aren't that short, and given it's mid-September and I'm dedicating October to horror/supernatural anime, I needed something short (or another top ten list).
2. October will be here before we know it, and my Halloween posts need to be ready and raring to go. Speaking of Halloween, what are you dressing up as (if you're dressing up at all)? I'm planning on going as a Ghostbuster!
So, here we go!
2. October will be here before we know it, and my Halloween posts need to be ready and raring to go. Speaking of Halloween, what are you dressing up as (if you're dressing up at all)? I'm planning on going as a Ghostbuster!
So, here we go!
Hey guys, kanna here. Well, now that I'm all moved into my new dorm (I love it, by the way), I had some time on my hands to watch Mamoru Hosoda's Wolf Children.
So before we get to the movie, let's talk a little bit about Mamoru Hosoda. You might recognize his name from works such as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars. He's a pretty good director and animator. Not as good as Miyazaki, but still pretty good. He was actually commissioned to direct Howl's Moving Castle, but left during the early production, so Miyazaki came out of retirement number-who's-even-counting-anymore to direct it.
Mamoru Hosoda started work at Toei Animation, before he left to work for Madhouse in 2005. He left Madhouse in 2011 and started his own animation studio, Studio Chizu. His couple of known works were the two movies in the Digimon Adventure series and the sixth film in the One Piece series, both of which were released in the early 2000s.
He would later go on to animate and direct The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, The Boy and the Beast, and today's movie, Wolf Children. Or, if you want to call it by its Japanese title, Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki.
So, let's get started!
The movie starts with a college student named Hana, who later falls in love with fellow student...we don't really get his name, come to think of it. I Googled it, and most of the sites I've read about the guy on refer to him as 'Ookami,' so that's what we'll call him.
Anyway, Hana falls in love with Ookami, who eventually reveals a secret to her: he's a werewolf. Hana accepts him as he is, and later on, the two have two children: a boy who they name Ame, and a girl they name Yuki. Yuki is Ame's older sister.
All seems fine and good, and Hana accepts the fact that her children are half-human and half-wolf. Things seem great, until Ookami gets killed while out hunting for food for his family. So Hana is left to raise the two "wolf children" (they're called that because they're half-human, half-wolf) on her own.
Life as a single mother is difficult for Hana, especially because Ame and Yuki are so young and constantly shifting between their wolf forms and their human forms. Because of this, Hana has to hide them from the world, and even moves to the countryside to avoid social workers and prying neighbors.
This movie basically tells the story of how Hana struggles and eventually manages to raise two children who are "wolf children," while the two children discover their own paths. It also presents the argument of whether the children consider themselves as humans or as wolves.
I know this is a relatively short review, but it's hard to review this movie without giving too much away. So we're just going to jump to the rating.
Rating: 10/10
Why: First off, the animation is stellar. I wouldn't expect less from Mamoru Hosoda, and while the animation isn't necessarily as good as a Miyazaki film's animation, it's still really good.
This movie really takes the time to develop all of its characters, even the minor ones. This makes for a lot of emotional moments. I highly suggest having a box of tissues nearby when you watch this movie. You'll need it.
The movie allows a lot of room for us to watch Ame and Yuki grow up and discover their own paths. It's almost as if we (the audience) are Hana and are actually watching them grow up right in front of us. I felt everything the characters did, because they were given time to develop and the writing had lots of emotion.
The voice acting was great, too. I hadn't heard of most of the voice cast before, so it definitely was interesting to hear some new people (well, new to me). And, of course, what's a good movie without a good soundtrack? Each song fit the movie perfectly; nothing was out of place.
Sure, this might seem like a typical love story, or a story of a single mother. But I feel it's so much more than that. We have characters we can connect with on an emotional level and feel everything they feel. It's truly a masterpiece.
Well, I know it was short, but that's my review. Hope you enjoyed, and give me suggestions for Anime Mondays up until October! I'm dedicating the entire month of October to horror/supernatural anime for Halloween!
See you next Monday! ~k
