Directors: Hiroki Yamada and Seiichi Shirato

Title: Obsolete: The Complete Collection

Studio: BUEMON studio

U. S. Distributor: YouTube Original, Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

Release Date: May 3rd, 2022

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 156 Minutes

Genera: Sci Fi, Action /Adventure, Drama

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: C –

Synopsis:

The people of Earth learned they were not alone when the aliens arrived, wanting to trade an incredible advancement in technology for the small price of a few shipments of common rock. Almost every country and corporation in the world seized upon the opportunity, and within a few years the massive robots known as EXOFRAMEs had replaced most forms of motorized industry.

But perhaps mankind should have been more cautious of aliens bearing gifts, because in one fell swoop the precarious balance in military forces and hardware that had long separated each nation and rogue group was irrevocably altered. With the scales of power thus readjusted, many who hated their neighbors or coveted their possessions saw a chance, at last, to strike. And so, the bloodshed and the wars began as the old status quo became OBSOLETE.

Commentary:

When Obsolete was first release by YouTube there was a great buzz. After some time the buzz wore off and I understand why. Although the plot is interesting and potentially thought provoking the overall execution fell flat. I attribute it to the computer generated imagery and writing that made the series come across as more of a toss off project.

The story had such potential and at moments raised some very interesting question about our geopolitical landscape. The unfortunate thing is that it never really developed. I did enjoy moments and saw the underlying concept that was trying to make its way out, but Obsolete just missed the mark.

Overall Grade: C –

The weakest aspect of the series is the computer generated animation. I felt like I was watching a high school project made on freeware that offered a minimum of effects and animation styles. From the hard edge machines to the low quality rendering of the humans I found Obsolete tough to watch at times. Of course there was plenty of animation that managed to work and the main subject, the Exoframes, worked well with this lower CG production quality.

The writing and plot development felt like it was geared toward the generation that grew up watching poorly made cutscenes that gave you quick battlefield action to keep your adrenaline racing. If you haven’t heard about Obsolete or caught up in the original YouTube ferver, you might want to check out some of the episodes to understand what I am alluding to. Obsolete may not have tickled my fancy, but it was nowhere as disappointing as Appleseed XIII and its impossibly bad animation.

Title: Drifting Dragons: The Complete Collection on Blu-ray

Director: Tadahiro Yoshihira

Studio: Polygon Pictures

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

Release Date: April 12th, 2022

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Dragons

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Drifting Dragons contains episodes 1-12 of the anime directed by Tadahiro Yoshihira.

Dragons may be huge flying leviathans, but their colossal bodies are also treasure troves of valuable oils and enough succulent flesh to feed small villages. So, even though it’s incredibly dangerous, the profession of draking is still profitable enough for the crews of airships like the Quin Zaza to risk their lives in the deadly pursuit of the airborne behemoths.

The mortality rate can be high, however, and the Zaza’s newest recruit, Takita, will have to learn the ins and outs of her lethal new vocation quickly, even as her reckless crewmate Mika seems determined to set the worst possible example. That leaves it up the rest of the Quin Zaza crew to keep the new rookie on the right side of the food chain as they pursue the deadliest catch of all!

Commentary:

Whenever you come across a series that pushes you comfort level in the first two episodes it becomes very hard to keep going. Drifting Dragons had that effect on me because it appeared to be focused on killing Dragons. Being a person who is less of a meat eater than most of the population I found it disappointing that this little series was focused on killing animal even if it was for food. I do understand and accept that part of humanity but it still makes me sad to think about.

But, once I got past the first few episodes the series changed and became a study of the crew and their personalities. It became interesting to discover what drew people to live in the sky and removed from the greater world. They became something more than just hunters.

Overall Grade: B

Drifting Dragons has its strong points with the character development but the production quality lacks finesse that would help with the overall enjoyment of the series. I found the computer generated (CG) imagery rather boring and too hard edged.

I did like the homage to Last Exile with the steampunk vibe and the blimp airships. The feel was much different and visual quality didn’t even come close but I did get the feeling that Last Exile was clearly an influence.

In the end I enjoyed the series and wish it had better visuals. I also wish it didn’t focus so much on the actual act of killing the Dragons. I ended up having a more sympathetic view of the Dragons throughout the series. Even in the end I understood the nature of things but still wished it would have presented in a slightly different way. Nonetheless, if you like fantasies about dragons you should enjoy Drifting Dragons.

Title: Food Wars: The Fifth Plate

Director: Yoshitomo Yonetani

U. S Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: April 12th, 2022

Format: Blu-ray / 13 Episodes / 325 Minutes

Genre: Slice of Life, Cooking, Comedy

Age Rating: TV 14+

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Synopsis

Food Wars! The Fifth Plate contains episodes 1-13 of the anime directed by Yoshitomo Yonetani.

The first semester of the second year is coming to a close, and finals have begun! It seems that Soma and his classmates have been dealt a recipe for disaster: in just three days, they must make at least 3 million yen (approximately 27 thousand dollars) at the restaurant they’ve been assigned.

However, while other teams have been placed in restaurants that are already in operation, Soma’s team receives a dilapidated property that must be restored first! But that’s only a minor challenge compared to what comes next, as the top students from all levels of Totsuki compete to become one of the school’s three representatives at BLUE, one of the world’s most legendary culinary competitions! Tempers flare, surprise ingredients abound, and someone’s sure to get burned in most heated cook off of all in the fifth and possibly final season of Food Wars!

Commentary

Food Wars! The Fifth Plate is exactly what I expected. Plenty of drama and struggle between Soma, Erina and new instructor with hidden desires and plans to change their lives forever. Of course I enjoy all of it and find the food to be interesting, I am convinced that the real star of the show is the wonderful characters that have been developed and molded into something very special. Over the course of five seasons we have become very comfortable with the cast and their odd personalities. Almost all of them have found a level of likeability and positive personas that make the series very easy to watch and engage in.

I found The Fifth Plate to be a little too predictable at times and would have liked it to find a new way to provide drama and comic relief, but I still this this season is a hit. I particularly enjoyed the ending. Some apples don’t fall far from the tree!

Overall Grade: A-

Even though I really enjoyed the story and character development I did feel as though there was a slight reduction in production quality. Some of the computer graphic were way too flat and hard edged and made me lose interest what was going on. I know that there is often a decline in production quality when a series is winding down, but I do feel that it did do a disservice to Food Wars, The Fifth Plate.

As a complete package I have to give the offering high marks for giving us what we expect and leading us in a direction that makes us feel good in the end. If you haven’t seen The Fifth Plate yet then it is a must. You won’t be disappointed!

Title: Haikyu!! Season 4 To the Top on Blu-ray

Director: Susumu Mitsunaka

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks

U. S. Release Date: 03/29/2022

Format: Blu-ray / 25 plus 2 OVA Episodes / 675 Minutes

Genre: Sports action and drama

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: A

Synopsis:

Haikyu!! To the Top (Season 4) contains episodes 1-25 plus OVAs 1 & 2 of the anime directed by Masako Sato.

Once again, determination and teamwork have helped the Karasuno High School volleyball team to qualify for the upcoming Nationals. Then, just as everything is starting to gel, the team is temporarily broken apart as two members are asked to attend special training camps, with Kageyama attending the prestigious All-Japan camp and Tsukishima invited to a special camp for first-years in Miyagi.

While the rest of the Karasuno team doggedly continues their own practice matches, Hinata feels that he’s being left behind. His audacious solution, crashing the rookie training camp, catches everyone off guard, yet he somehow manages to talk his way into being allowed to stay… even if it is only watching from the sidelines. And that change of perspective may be just what Hinata needs to advance his game up to the next level!

Commentary:

Wow, they did it again. Haikyu!! is one of those series that just makes you smile. From the opening episode through the last minute you just want to thank the creators for giving us this feel good story. Haikyu!! transcends sports anime and enters the world of the human experience and the possibilities when a positive outlook can take you places you never expected. There are moments when you feel sorry for players on both sides because they are all shooting for the stars and other times you are elated for the team that was able to pull off a spectacular play. All the while the players are discovering things about themselves that helps them navigate the world in a way that leaves them wanting more. The flow of the story and progression of the action makes you feel like you are part of the family along for a ride..

Overall Grade: A

Haikyu!! Season 4: To The Top came very close to getting my top grade because of the strength of the story and the dynamic character development. Where it fell shy was the overall production quality. The action was done beautifully but the animation outside the court was flat and way to much like paper cutouts that relied on computer generated images to fill the screen.

The truth is that I wanted to give season 4 top marks of an A+ but with the production quality and strangely enough the ending that left me wanting more, I had no other option but give it a slightly lower A rating. This season continued the wonderfully high level of character development and a continued depth to each of the players and associated members of the team, from the coach to the managers. This awesome character development pushes me to want more. Haikyu!! is a great selection for the rest of the world to see and understand how the Japanese approach sports and life as a hole. If for any reason you haven’t experience Haikyu!! then you need to give it a chance and be sure to start at the beginning. If you are a fan you already know how good it is. So be sure to grab To The Top and fly along with everyone in this exciting offering.

Title: Baki: The Complete Collection

Director: Toshiki Hirano

Studio: TMS Entertainment, Double Eagle

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: May 25th, 2021

Format: Blu-ray / 26 Episodes / 650 Minutes

Genre: Fighting, Action, Drama

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: D

Synopsis:

In the deadly underground world of no-holds-barred fighting, one name reigns supreme: Yujiro Hanma, aka “The Ogre,” a legendary martial artist whose incredible strength, skill, and savage ferocity are so terrifying that even great nations fear him. Still, no man can stand at any pinnacle forever, and the Ogre’s son, Baki, has trained his entire young life in order to achieve his dream of rising to the top.

Unfortunately, the young fighter’s escalating string of victories make him a target for the most ruthless of rivals, and an underground martial arts promoter warns him that five ultra-violent convicts are en route to Tokyo to eliminate Baki once and for all! Now, with the lives of his friends and classmates at stake, the young fighter must face his greatest challenges yet, both inside and outside of the ring!

Commentary:

Baki is clearly created for a very specific audience which has a desire to be entertained by gratuities violence. I am not part of that target audience. I believe that there are much better ways to tell the age old underdog story. I came away feeling a little sad that humanity really does like this stuff. I understand that it is at our core genetic makeup that we are simple, violent creatures who live for this stuff. Funny thing is that this is created by people from one of the more advanced societies in the world.

Baki is a window into our soul. In a world where money and power control the fate of the stupid fighters shows us the way it really works in the real world. Rich, powerful people have always controlled the less educated and gullible in our societies and Baki just brings it into focus in a very narrow microcosm.

Overall Grade: D

Although I understand what Baki is trying to do that doesn’t mean that I have to be pleased about it. I think that there was a good reason that Baki was an almost forgotten about series from 2001. The reason is that it just wasn’t very good. This new revision doesn’t manage to make it any better. The writing is simplistic and the production values make the animation average at best.

The real failure comes when it focuses on the glorification of violence and allows the counterpoint to be forgotten and dismissed. Telly the great underdog story can be approached in so many other ways. Nevertheless Baki has found a solid fan base and has managed to revitalized the older series that the sun should have set on many years ago.

If violence is your thing then Baki is for you.

Title: Karakuri Circus: Complete Collection

Director: Satoshi Nishimura

Studio: Studio VOLN

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks

U. S. Release Date: May 18th, 2021

Format: Blu-ray / 36 Episodes / 900 Minutes

Genre: Fantasy / Sci Fi / Action / Adventure / Drama

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

When Narumi Kato, a martial artist afflicted with the bizarre condition known as Zonapha syndrome, attempts to rescue a young boy from incredibly powerful attackers, he is stunned to discover that his opponents aren’t even human!

Pulled into a conflict pitting users of puppets and the self-aware Automatons against each other, Narumi finds himself rescued by an unusual young woman named Shirogane, who has her own puppet, Arlequin, and together they must form an alliance to protect the boy, Masaru, who has recently inherited an incredible fortune. But who is trying to kill Masaru and what is the origin of these incredible animated creations? How is it tied in with Narumi’s own affliction? The truth surrounding a 200 year old shadow war unfolds as Narumi, Shirogane, and Masaru battle to survive!

Commentary:

Karakuri Circus is much more than the synopsis leads you to believe. The truth is that this imaginative series has plenty of odd and strange layers of flavor for us to discover. The series revolves around 3 very different characters that end up being a perfect fit for the challenge. Narumi is the one that is easiest to understand, but Masru and Shirogane add different personalities to the mix and the real hero is not the one you most expect, but in the end they make the most sense.

Karakuri Circus is full of strange character that gradually become somewhat standard fare and don’t lend themself to any deep appreciation for the story. The one thing that provided me with the most reward was the love story that bloomed through the series and managed to manifest itself in the end. If found it very satisfying.

The rest of the series was fun to watch but felt like a standard shonen series with some mature scenes tossed in for some rather silly attempt to be more than a shonen with crazy characters.

Overall Grade: B+

Although Karakuri Circus did not hit a home run for me it did provide me with plenty of surprises. The first few episodes were strong enough to make we want to watch more and then as the series began to unfold it provided even more layers and depth. The writing was good, but I did find much of the plot to be rather predictable. It was the at the end when a new plot device was introduced that the series was best.

The production quality of Karakuri Circus was above par and much of the animation work in the puppets and the battles were the shining moments. There is plenty to keep this series flowing and only some weak story development that slowed it down.

If you love a bit more mature shonen series then you will love Karakuri Circus. Be sure to check this one out, it is full of surprises and fun.

Title: Babylon: The Complete Series

Director: Kiyotaka Suzuki

Studio: Revoroot

Release Date: May 11th, 2021

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Suspense, Drama

Age Rating: MA

Overall Personal Rating: A

Synopsis:

Everything can be connected to something else if you dig hard enough, and when you’re investigating a crime, it usually doesn’t take too long before you start finding the clues you need, if you know where to look.

When Public Prosecutor Zen Seizaki starts investigating a case of apparent fraud by a major pharmaceutical company, however, he quickly finds himself entangled in a nightmarish web of lies, intrigue and murder on a global scale. And even worse, how can he fight a foe without a face, one that’s protected by members of the highest echelons of society and government, and seems to be able to convince its own victims to kill themselves? The nightmares of modern science are powered by old-fashioned corruption and greed, and one man may be the only force that can stop them.

Commentary:

Babylon is a wonderful chance to watch a serious suspense thriller that is written for adults. It tackles some heady moral quests and gives us a clear view of how good versus evil can have some very grey area along with some defined clarity. I found the overall delivery of the series as well developed and hard hitting. I discovered early on that I wanted to align myself with Zen Seizaki because of the path that he is forced to follow and at the same time I discovered that his righteousness was a bit of a handicap.

Babylon gives the viewer something to think about and presents in a way that you believe one way in the beginning and start to question your thoughts as the series closes in on its finally. It hits all the high points for me and I really enjoyed it.

Overall Grade: A

Babylon is a interesting series in both writing and production. I have never been a big fan of computer graphics, but in for Babylon I found it to be a perfect fit. The shading and lines were well constructed to help strengthen the tension and drama. The writing was right on point and developed the character on a well crafted pace that gave us the ability to find a clear understanding who they are.

Overall, this series is a drama that provides a thought provoking look into the moral question of control and the ability of society to understand that there might be a greater purpose for our existence. So, if you are in search of a series that is serious and written for the mature mind the Babylon is the one for you.

Title: Cagaster of an Insect Cage: Complete Collection

Director: Koichi Chigira

Studio: Studio Kai

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: March 31st, 2021

Format: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Horror, Drama, Action, Adventure

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: B-

Synopsis:

The nightmare that wiped out two thirds of the human race thirty years ago wasn’t caused by germs. It was bugs on an entirely different kind of scale: bizarre insects that mutate their victims into half-human creatures that rapidly evolve into rampaging giant monsters!

Yet, as unstoppable as the monstrous insects seemed, humanity is as hard to kill as cockroaches, and exterminators like Kidou now spend their lives stalking and killing the creatures called Cagasters. As the brief still-partially human phase is the best time to strike, however, exterminators soon learn to distance themselves, socially and emotionally, from normal people. But when Kidou finds himself suddenly tasked with returning a young survivor to her mother, he starts to realize that his emotions and humanity may not be buried as deeply as he believed!

Commentary:

I was unimpressed with the first few minutes of the Netflix original series created by a Gonzo offshoot studio. The low budget Computer Graphics (CG) left me wanting to turn it off and watch something else. The high distress that Ilie show in the first two episodes gave me flashback of Shinji in EVA, where I wanted to plug my ears and just watch. Now I have a delima, bad CG and a whinny Ilie made it hard for me to watch and then there was relief. Ilie became a solid character and the story took over. It has been some time since I found a post-apocalyptic series that had something that I found interesting, but Cagaster of an Insect Cage gave me a reason to keep watching.

Overall Rating: B-

With story being so well written I have to say that by the time I reached the end of the series I was fully engaged. I liked Kidou and felt as though Ilie had managed to become a well rounded character. The plot and overall story is strong, it is just too bad that Netflix paid for such poor CG.

As much as I like the story I just can’t go above a B- for the series. No matter how well a series is written if the animation is lacking it will be hard to maintain viewership.

If you are looking for a solid post-apocalyptic series and don’t care about bad CG, then you really need to check Cagaster of an Insect Cage out.