Tsuburaya Ultraman Nexus Episode 22 Review

Just Another Bring A Hunted Person Home For The Gang At Memory Police Resistance.
Ugh. Turns out the dying Jun needs several more episodes to properly die in! Sigh. This is dragging on forever!

So let’s see. By the end of next disc there will be a new Nexus, but it won’t be Kazuki. Despite calling himself Dark Mephisto way back in the origin of how Mizorobi met Ultraman? He won’t officially be DM until disc 4.

There are other things, but let’s be disappointed in them together when I review them in the future. Anyway last we checked? Jun was dead. They called in the crash cart to defib his heart.

Then during the attempt to restart his heart, TLTs chairman somehow figures out to somehow trigger Ultraman into saving Jun. By using the brain CAT scan to… Something.

Ultraman intervenes, and withdraws Jun. Who goes to talk to Kazuki via glowing form. Not Tony Stark hologram shows up to warn Jun that he can’t continue to become Ultraman as it will kill him. He then let’s Jun go.

I’m a few episodes TLT will realize Kazuki, Nagi and Captain knew all about Jun being Nexus, and his it from them. They are understandably pissed, but that’s for another review.

Ultraman drops Jun off with the waiting female Editor. She takes Jun home and cares for him. They talk, their story expands a little, but ultimately he runs away from her and nothing really happens.

Well… Other than their talking and him flashing back again to that native girl dying. That’s it. Still amazed of the village she died in. The indigenous South Asia village of naturally born stunt petformers. I hear studios thrive on finding their village!

Mizorogi? Still alive. Decides to rip off any overtly dramatic movie by texting alien text to Nagi, passing by Lady Editor after she parts from Jun, and watching dark evil clouds roll in. No. It’s not Gozer.

Either Kitty Koopa lives, or its another being… Oh. Not Kolchak? Yeah. He’s officially moved into the official apartment (main setting of the group’s online comedy series “Three Men And A Conspiracy”). He gets to know his fellow Memory Police fugitives better.

They show him that, despite being caught off guard, the Memory Police rebounds by planting false info about his news story. Writing it off as SFX model work and photography.

Except once again the Memory Police had bucked up. It’s not the news story they had to kill, it was the pictures. As long as they exist, the Memory wipes done by the MP might as well be stopped. Just looking at Kaiju images triggers their memories to return.

So, since nothing dies in the internet? These one set of images is enough to reverse all the Memory Police’ work. Which means… It’s time for an actual possible force behind the Kaiju to arise.

So it might be true that Kitty Koopa survived Nexus’ Specium=166 finisher. It might be a new related beast. It might be new altogether. But starting in the local city underground, and working it’s way to groups of people. Allowing itself to be seen.

Though it is only tentacles fetching humans through a rift portal, no doubt to help the creature recover from mostly death, the plan idclear. Spread fear of the Kaiju through the population. At a rate not even the Memory Police can hold back.

No. Now that Not Kolchak has unwittingly released the catalyst to reverse the mind wipes, it looks like the enemy is moving forward with a new plan.

Not listening to crazy Not Tony Stark’s warnings, the episode ends with Jun becoming Ultraman Nexus. Don’t worry. He won’t be long for this show.

So let’s see. I’m a few we find out Jun wasn’t the first person to merge with Nexus. We find out the light seen by Lady Editor was a new Ultraman arriving. And we find out the Kaiju threat has a plan. But it’s all in Disc 4. Stay tunrd.

It’s February. So tomorrow it’s back to Case Closed. Season 2 and Detective Conan and the Detective Boys… How Hardy Boys of the Season. Stay tuned as we review Episode 27 tomorrow. See you.

Tsuburaya Ultraman Nexus Episode 21 Review

Congratulations! Nexus Wins The Award For Longest Drawn Out Death Of A Character!
No seriously. Even now, as the episode starts? After recapping the end of last episode?!? He refuses to die! He’s down! He’s up! He’s down!

…oh really. Well thank you, decades old character played by Billy Crystal! That clears a lot up. Sigh. Most of the fight now has Ultraman struggling to get up (Rocky style). Until plot says otherwise.

A hole opens in the sub space meta field, tempting Kitty Koopa with the promise of all you can eat free range humans. Accept no substitutes. However the field is still intact, someone is teasing it.

Eventually Ultraman Nexus gets up, lassos the beast and girls it away from the breach, and blows it up with Specium-166. He then drops the Meta field, and wanders away as Jun. Where agents from TLT, stealing from E.T., grab him.

As you probably guessed, the mysterious black suited head of TLT is interested in unlocking, and exploiting Ultraman Nexus’ powers. Yeah, you can kinda forgive him. He doesn’t know it comes from an alien from the M-66 Galaxy.

This whole capture scene is kinda pointless. He’s brought to a lab, and put through electro mind scans… I,e, he’s made to replay clips from the last twenty episodes. Really? A clip show before he dies?

Since nothing of import happens to him, let’s go back to Not Kolchak. He turns over the memory card full of images to his Editor… At a Japanese sports newspaper… Seriously? Not Kolchak is supposed to be a Sports Reporter?!? Come on!!

Worse yet? He actually knows a lady Editor (who knew Jun back in the day) for an actual legit newspaper he could have taken all this to. But no. He brought it to his Sports Editor boss. Who, no surprise, runs the story and images. Winner of that year’s World Cup be damned! Here’s an alien attacking Earth!

Being not the brightest investigative reporter in Japan. The Memory Police have little trouble finding him. Also? It seems I guess he couldn’t have gone to any of the big papers. They seem to be in league with the Memory Police.

So… Yeah. Why did the story break? Because really. Nobody expects the local sports paper to break need on an alien invasion. But it’s a Sports paper, so nobody would take it seriously… Right?

Except that’s not the problem. The problem is Memory Police use substandard neuralizer tech. Just seeing images of a beast is enough to reverse the mind wipe. This happens to that lady Editor Not Kolchak reaches out to for help.

But situation resolved yes? Memory Police found Not Kolchak… Oh wait no. This is the Memory Police! Within one minute they lose Not Kolchak! Yes. If they can’t catch a slow moving taxi? They can’t catch a slow moving reporter dressed like he’s an extra from Miami Vice!

While he’s free he arranges a meet with the lady editor, but might not show up… Meeting at midnight though? How cliche. Anyway he managed to elude the inept Memory Police all day, into the night, and his story ends for now when the Memory Police Resistance saves him. Yup. Several men in black fail to catch one reporter!

The episode ends with the TLT trying to uncover signs of Ultraman in Jun’s brain. The stress of the procedure seemingly kills him… Sigh. Again? Don’t worry. The episode ends with TLTs head pressing the panic button, and sending a crash team to revive Jun.

Lady Editor? Waiting out in the city to meet Not Kolchak she sees a shooting star. Hmm. Either it’s a takeout that Jun is dead, or up someone from the M-66 Galaxy finally realized there’s an Ultraman or two on Earth!

So… Has Ultra Mother arrived? Another different Ultraman? Guess only time will tell… Oh. According to the synopsis? Jun survived flatlining on the lab table. If course he did. Sigh. See you tomorrow.

Tsuburaya Ultraman Nexus Episode 20 Review

The Stupidity Must Go On!
Yeah yeah. It looks like they are going to milk Jun’s death for all its worth. As we are just going to spend episodes watching him slowly die! I’m retrospect only extremely popular slasher film villains are harder to kill!

So it seems some things have been set up to arrange the next plot conflicts. Why did Ultraman’s ship crash mid transit and dump Jun out in the woods… BTW woods? As popular this decade as random quarries were to Tokusatsu heroes in the 60s & 70s!!

It was so someone who knew Jun would find him, find that he still carried his camera about despite changing his occupation to Wandering Ultraman, and run off with it to expose the secrets.

All so this guy who respected Jun would take a lot of images of… Eh… Let’s call it Kitty Koopa. Take images of it and if the Night Raiders. Funny. The images all look like screenshots from last episode! Funny that!

Somehow he managed to throw that camera back to his pals before being eaten. Even though I remember seeing the actor gripping the camera all the way until the CGI effect are him. So huh?

Why take all those images? So they could run into Not Kolchak in the woods on the way back to town. Yeah. Apparently I mistook the dead kid for the chunky Not Kolchak! My bad!

The beast? Ultraman shows up and saves the guy and girl, having failed to save the first guy who admired him. At best all Ultraman can do is delay it… Oh. Also Jun now has plot convenient hearing. He heard the last scream Mike’s away and went to help.

That’s how Not Kolchak ended up in the woods. He followed Jun into the woods, but lost him when he turned into Nexus. Then he just stood around until plot wandered into him.

Ultraman Nexus fails to stop the beast. Which is bad as suddenly the beast realizes it’s wandering near a 24 hour all you can eat buffet, known as a human city! Deciding to get its grub on, it wanders towards the city.

With Ultraman Nexus failing to stop the beast, the Night Raiders have to attack it with their boosted weapons. They manage to gravely injured it, but the reprise made by shattering its back crystals last episode (stopping it’s phasing powers) ends.

Regenerating its back crystals, the beast retreats into… We find out later it was so gravely injured it didn’t just phase out of synch with reality. It actually retreats to an alternate dead Earth. Hiding on a world awash with exposed mana energy pools, healing itself.

Later you find out that the Night Raiders have the tech to pursue the beast all the way to its hiding place in the dead Earth. After all, the beast only moved transdimensionally. It was still in the same spot it fell. But they’re called back to base. The chance to kill the beast squandered.

Eventually they convince their superiors that the beast hadn’t really gone far. Though it travelled transdimensionally, it’s still in the exact same spot as before. And once it heals it’ll be back to check in on its reservation at the all you can eat Human bar.

Meanwhile, remember those two who ran into Not Kolchak? They show him the blurry screenshots of the fight from last episode. He… Sucker punches the guy and steals the memory card with the images.

The two run into Jun, who is hobbling away from the fight he didn’t care so well in. Somehow she pieces together that Jun is Nexus from the fact he and Nexus has an injured arm. Ok. Doesn’t matter as he won’t be Nexus for long.

So they return to the city. All they have to do is get picked up by Memory Police, questioned, and reveal that Not Kolchak stole images of the fight… And this evidence of aliens (Kaiju). After all, even Jun told them that was Not Kolchak’s master plan!

Except their overuse of their Cosmic Cube Neuralyzer is about to screw them over. They wipe and reconfigure the twos minds, completely wiping all memory of the fight… AND unintentionally wiping info that Not Kolchak has proof of Kaiju from space.

So Not Kolchak, having cleaned up the blue from the images with a fairly decent photo editor… Lightbox? Adobe Photoshop? He emails the images to his Editor, setting the wheels in motion to expose the existence of the Night Raiders, and alien Kaiju.

So I guess that’s a plot conflict for Disc 4. The Night Raiders go back to where the beast phased out. Kazuki, in his fighter, heads through dimensional realities (cough cough “borrowed Doctor Who effects”) and located the beast recovering in a mana pool on the dead Earth.

He drives it back into reality where they continue the fight. Ultraman Nexus… BTW his ship? Fine. Suddenly it works perfectly and is easily summoned. Right. Plot device expended, back to using the ship… One last time.

Nexus sends itself and the beast into subspace via the Meta Field bubble. Suzuki & Nagi follow in their ships, breaking through into subspace just in time to see Nexus seemingly drop dead.

To be fair? They are playing fast and loose with the announcement here as the warning light was still flashing when the episode ended. Also? Ignore the fact they completely broke the warning light rule years later (2016, Ultraman Orb) by having it go out… And NOT kill Ultraman. Which is the standard lore by the way.

So Nexus is dead now? Yeah… Don’t hold your breath, they’re going to milk it for all its worth. We will see just how long Nexus can be dying before he actually dies… And is replaced by Kazuki. Sigh. Stay tuned eh?

Tsuburaya Ultraman Nexus Episode 19 Review

Japan! Builder Of Rube Goldberg Level Giant Kaiju Traps Since The 50s!
As impossible as it seems. I’m one scene Ultraman Nexus managed to rip off from classic Godzilla movies, 1986s Aliens, and the classic Robbie The Robot movie Forbidden Planet! Tokusatsu. Truly nothing is beyond their ability to… “Borrow”.

This is actually a bit of a short recap. For a twenty-ish minute episode not very much happens. But it’s still significant, as it puts a death clock on Jun.

Jun is basically dying. Despite transforming in Nexus (which he has to do this episode) the Cerebus poison is still raging through his body. That means he is unable to fight the creature Kaiju today. But he fights it to inspire the Night Raiders to come up with a plan.

Today’s creature is a tentacle hydra turtle with giant crystals on its back. The crystals… I’m going to guess they act as a phase prism. When powered it allows the creature to phase out of synch with reality. Which is actually a pretty nifty trick.

We break from the tension of Captain stopping Nagi from carrying out her anger at Ultraman for cohabitation with her brother Jun, to watch the Kaiju eat hikers. It then phases out… But doesn’t go anywhere. Like a predator it hides by bending reality, waiting for fresh humans to show up.

Why eat humans? Besides that’s the horror button Tsuburaya loves to beat on a lot during their edgelord phase? Who knows. Maybe the Kaiju feeds on humans to fulfill a dietary requirement?

The Night Raiders show up, and so too does Nexus. He fights the beast, but the poison is now inhibiting his ability to fight. Making it harder to use advanced attacks like Specium-166. Basically Jun is on his last leg as we beat the end of Disc 3.

But from this fight the Night Raiders learn one thing. When Nexus takes itself and the beast to subspace via the Meta Field? That districts the beast’s ability to phase. And, plot conveniently, TLT Holo Tony Stark has the answer.

He apparently built a giant set up that he thinks will short circuit the beast’ ability to phase out of existence. This thing, which takes up a lot of ground and is not exactly invisible, is set up to wretch the beast out of its phased state.

How do you track a beast in phased state? You steal the radar gimmick from Aliens. That’s how. Tracking an invisible beast marching to a large classic Godzilla trap. Brought out of phase in a style reminiscent of Forbidden Planet’ climax.

Jun? His poison cannot be cured by the Ultraman Ship. In fact it’s so disruptive it causes the ship to crash, and expel the gravely injured Jun. He’s found by two guys and a girl. One of these guys seems to be Not Kolchak reporter from episodes ago. Wearing Nagi’s Memory Police Resistance friend’s Hawaiian shirt. Really?

He recognizes Jun, the reporter that inspired him on his pointless character arc of Mulder I Want To Believe, combined with cheap yen store Kolchak The Night Stalker reporter morals.

The Night Raiders manage to reenact the pulse pounding Aliens radar scene without laughing. Trapping the beast in their trap for 3 minutes. So… When three minutes ends the trap fails? Nope.

When three minutes end the trap goes boom. Apparently the power surge shorts out the beast’ phasing powers… Oh really. There was no other way. It had to be pointlessly dramatic.

The power that it takes to short out the beast causes a power outage in the nearby town where our trip took Jun. Somehow Not Kolchak is drawn to the fight, and starts taking images.

During the fight with the Night Raiders ship, the beast senses takeout arriving in the form of Not Kolchak and pals. It decides to stop for dinner before continuing the fight. For some stupid reason Kazuki stops his team from attacking, because humans.

In other words? Kazuki gets Not Kolchak killed. As he’s eaten by the beast. On the bright side? Less work for the incompetent Memory Police. Though? I guess they can chase down Kitty Koopa here if it survives this fight. Try to memory wipe it and get the camera out of its stomach.

So that’s where it ends. Jun is far too poisoned to help. Ultraman’s ship (crashed in the forest looking like a giant premium model toy) can’t even heal him anymore. So… What’s next? Episode 20.

Since they blew up the machine to make the beast vulnerable, I’m guessing they’ll need to finish this now yes? Guess so… Let’s peek… Ugh. The peek was pointless!!

According to the synopsis? TLT & Night Raiders are in a bind. Why? Because Not Kolchak shot photographs of Space Beasts and the Night Raiders… Uhh… He died! Unless he threw that camera to his pals? Then that threat is being digested! Tastes like fail!

Jun is near death. If he becomes Nexus again he will die. Yeah. We know. Hindsight and the box telling us Kazuki will be Nexus made that determination easy.

Oh. Misorogi? Not dead? He contacts Nagi next episode. Maybe the only real attention grabber next episode. But we shall see. Stay tuned as Episode 20 is next.

Tsuburaya Ultraman Nexus Episode 18 Review

Through A Darwinian Mirror Dark Mephisto…
So this is it. The moment the Dark Ultraman recruited Masarogi. Why he recruited Masarobi, and why he’s dark? That’s sure to be… A massive disappountment. I thought so.

As the episode starts it seems TLT’s X-Files suited overseers have learned of Nagi vanishing from the Night Raiders base… 5 hours ago. Oh. So she didn’t take a day off, or go on a self holiday from work? No. She’s AWOL. Uh huh.

Her Captain decides to go after her, telling their superior he will bring her back. As opposed to asking his suited boss if the Memory Police has been outsized by any slow moving cabs recently.

Kazuki, being the main star of the show, joins the Captain. Why? Well eventually he has to become Nexus. But also so we can have Captain tell us of the relationship between Masarogi & Nagi.

Relationship… Uhh… Something friendship something abuse as a means of character growth something… Eh. I’m still sure Nagi exists to ultimately be Kazuki’s girl. Hence why Riko (who looks like Nagi’s clone) had to die. Whatever.

Nagi locates Masarogi. He went back to the site where he vanished a year ago. A new building built over the one he exploded back then. We already know they were fighting Cerebus’ brainwashed zombie humans… Now about Dark Ultraman.

Having temporarily out down a batch of drone humans (they get up again because undead), Masarogi goes looking for Cerebus. But what he finds is… Dark Ultraman. During the confrontation here he saw the shrine built over the Ultraman ship from ages ago…

Now he meets Dark Ultraman. So. Why did he meet him out here? While the other Ultraman met Jun at the ship? Apparently this Ultraman has been wandering the Earth as a business spirit all this time. And… He’s gone native.

Yeah. You were hoping for a deeper meaning to all this? Me too. But no. He’s been wandering for who knows how long, and decided that the human Charles Darwin had it right. Survival of the fittest. Whatever beliefs he had as one of the Guardians of Light? Replaced with his new very human phi!idiot of night makes right.

So sensing a kindred spirit in the beast killing Masarobi, he merges with Masarobi. Oh. According to Masarobi? The Dark Ultraman called himself Dark Mephisto. Yes. The same name Captain bought up when first talking about Masarobi going evil last episode.

How did he know about Dark Mephisto? Especially since up until now he has been designated as Dark Faust? Dunno. Anyway enough reveals. Captain and Kazaki show up.

Masarobi summons Cerberus, Jun shows up and becomes Nexus. Masarobi deals the group in dark subspace for the fight. He reveals that this is a trap as Cerberus activates the poison he earlier injected into Nexus. Harming him.

Captain and Kazuki try to aid Nexus, but Masarobi is there to use Mephisto’s Ultraman powers to shield him. He then gets shot in the back by Nagi. So intent on the people in front he completely ignored the armed threat behind him.

He compliments her as being perfect… Which I guess she is since she survival of the fittest shot him in the back. She shoots him again, he falls, and Mephisto withdraws him from the fight. With him gone Captain & Kazuki can now aid Nexus.

They defeat Cerberus, but the damage is done. It’s poison continues to course through Jun, killing him. However he’s stopped from leaving by Nagi. Oh. Right. Someone still remembers that Jun and Nagi are siblings, and she hates Nexus for making him his human.

We are drawing close to the death of Jun, and the rise of Kazuki as Nexus. It will only be a few more episodes before it happens. Also yeah. The whole Memory Police subplot once again died a quick pointless death. Sigh.

Episode 19 is tomorrow. What’s next! Find out tomorrow when we continue Nexus. See you then.

Tsuburaya Ultraman Nexus Episode 17 Review

A Three Headed Kaiju Is More Problematic Than One
So apparently the threat of the Augment Kaiju is done. Since Kazuki is now finally set to be in the Night Raiders we can move on.

Girls out on a camping trip are brainwashed by a three headed Kaiju who isn’t King Ghidorah, and has telepathic powers. This beast, a Cerebus monster (though they might be calling it Mephisto?) has the ability to control sentient life.

It can use hypnosis, and befuddle the minds of sentients. It can also create a give mind and control humans… But only if they’re dead? Huh? Apparently being hijacked by Cerebus kills you?

I’m taking it that this show was aired late at night in the adult Tokusatsu time slot. Like the horrifically made Ultra Seven X (made to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Ultra Seven). What this episode says to me? It could have gone either way.

Sending Night Raiders to fight this Kaiju, the hive mind controlled girls attack Kazuki & Nagi. Grabbing their weapons to use them. Nagi shoots one, and tells Kazugi she used tranqs on her.

Huh? But they haven’t used tranqs before… Oh! Right. They need to soften the blow of their cold actions to Kazuki. Even though he’s seen them kill before so why… Oh! Right.

You see a paramedic team after the fight take the girls away, but you really don’t see much. Well… Thing is? Upon further reflection? What if these scenes were made open ended? Allowing a different cut to be used where they actually do survive?

As I see it? The only way this show got aired? With all its edgelord killing and such? Was during an adults only night slot. But it’s filmed in a way that allows it to get edited, and toned down if they had to sit this in the weekend morning slot instead.

Unlike Ultra Seven X? I have a feeling the word of Tsuburaya execs could have changed the entire time of Nexus, and softened its harsh tones up a bit. It all depends on its timeslot, I think.

Why would a three headed kaiju need to control undead sentients? Maybe it’s as a defensive tactic? The controlled beings are used as remote eyes, as well as tools to draw out any hidden Ultras.

The fight has Nexus show up, and being the Cerebus into sub space. From the start we know Nexus has fought this being before. During the fight the Night Raiders pierce sub space to aid Nexus, but accidentually cause him to be garned. By accidentually shooting him, and allowing Cerebus to mail him.

So there’s no reason to not say it. By the end of this disc, Nexus’ human is told he’s sustained too much injuries as Nexus. That eventually kills him, allowing Kazuki to take over.

That’s not a surprise, right? The show has been building up to that for awhile now. But while we are on revelations, Kazuki finds out about Misorobi (Faust) ties to the Night Raiders.

Up until a year ago he was Co Captain (second in command). The role presently held by Nagi (angry guns girl). While responding to hypnotized zombie worker humans causing a fracas, Misorobi… Eh. The end of the episode implies he’s been turned evil by Cerebus… Mephisto… Something.

Is that true? Maybe. After all in this Nexus Cerebus fight from earlier? Faust actually came to shield Cerebus from Nexus’ Specium-166 attack. So maybe Faust/Misorobi was turned evil by the Cerebus.

So? That doesn’t explain the alien invasion plot of Nexus. It doesn’t explain how Cerebus turned Misorobi evil, and thus turned Faust evil .. Or was Faust always evil when he took Misorobi’s body? Was the explosion that caused him to vanish the arrival of Faust?

Too many questions. Little in the way of actual answers. Yet. Anyway now that Nagi knows Misorobi is tied to this new Kaiju? Already knowing he’s Faust? She runs off in search of him. This makes Kazuki worried that the Memory Police will hunt her?

Don’t worry! As long as she finds a slow moving taxi to escape in? She should be just fine. Anyway it looks like the mystery of Misorobi and Faust will bring us towards the death of Nexus’ present human, and signal the arrival of Kazuki Nexus.

Nagi goes AWOL. And Kazuki wants to find her before she’s mind wiped… Yeah. Unless actually competent people mindvwipe her? I don’t think she’s in any real danger here. Especially since both Ultras seen to revolve around her as the core of their backstories.

Episode 18 is tomorrow. As we draw towards the changing of the Ultra Guard. See you tomorrow.

Tsuburaya Ultraman Nexus Episode 16 Review

Convinced Kazuki Should Be Nexus? How About Now?
I’m beginning to think every plot synopsis attached to a Nexus Episode should be taken with a spoonful of doubt. Why? Because they never fully articulate what’s in the episode.

Like these opening episodes of Disc 3. Last Episode Kazuki fails to kill a Beast, aka the Augment Beast (my own nickname) that likes to install people in its head… For some reason.

But that only happens at the end of the episode. While Nexus is fighting his dark counterpart Faust. He beats Faust, but ends up having to heal again in the subspace contained in Nexus’ ship.

So this probably was a big surprise to viewers when this originally aired. The human behind Nexus dying, requiring a new replacement. Sure it’s no surprise to us. We have the DVD case and booklet that reveals that.

But actually it shouldn’t have been a surprise to the viewers back then too. This first human controlling Nexus? He ends up getting his flank kicked way too many times. He’s constantly being revived with Ultraman tech. His death was inevitable.

So this episode is supposed to have Kazuki come to a rather shocking decision concerning the Memory Police. Nice build up… Poor execution. Also? The talk of neutralizing Kazuki’s memories to drum him out of the team? About a minute or so.

So how does it play out? Kazuki, mind filled with painful memories of his girlfriend Riko dying? Wanders away from base. Leaving his commlink behind. He’s randomly found by the Memory Men In Black. But before he can go with them, Japanese Bruce Campbell (Burn Notice) saved him.

Sigh. It’s the guy that angry lady from the team is friends with. Why is she friends with him? Turns out he’s a former member of the Night Raiders. Part of some underground Memory Police resistance.

Yeah. Trust me. It’s more interesting than what they do with it. Dunno… We’re they stealing from Bourne or Minority Report with this scene to come in this rogue agents house? Also? Worse Men In Black ever!

Hell! Worse getaway ever! After grabbing Kazuki to get away… In his cab be hired… It takes about 30 seconds to get the driver to drive. Then he drives away so slowly the MIB can easily follow right next to them… Oh. They get away. In Japan’s slowest cab.

Yes. After so slowly driving away, the MIB jump into their SUV… Really? Your shows MIB drive in a SUV?… Never mind. They vanish. That’s it for them and their non threat. The whole conflict is Kazuki crying about wanting to be mindwiped, and guy telling for him not to be mindwiped.

For all of a minute. Faust’s human shows up. He tempts Kazuki with an illusion of Riko. Well… Guess the actress for in some extra screen time before being written off the show!

Nexus’ human shows up, after saving a woman he knows who was delivering food to Mr. Rogue’s house Red Riding Hood style. Come on. She’s only walking through the woods to be attacked by the Augment… The one who got away last episode.

It tries to absorb her, but fails because Nexus. Funny. I thought this means the creature completely absorbed the other human, and needed a replacement. But the human thing doesn’t play a role in its death at all.

Nexus confronts Faust (all human by the way), as Kazuki gives in to his desire to move in with Riko in her mom existent home in the woods. Suddenly he steps on the generic Pokemon keychain he got from Riko, whose power gives him the strength to reject Not Riko.

Anyway I’m guessing Faust already knows that Kazuki is meant to be an Ultraman, and is trying to turn him to the dark side. Which has replaced cookies with spirit dead girlfriend cohabitation. Anyway Kazuki resists the dumb side.

He shows up to help his team with the Augment. The team learned that this monsters weakness is… Shooting it in the mouth. Really. No mention of the spot in the head where it sticks humans. Just shoot it in the beak.

Working together (Nexus arrived to help with no sign of Faust interfering because plot) Nexus pries open the beast’s beak, and Kazuki shoots it… After a 30 second long rambling diatribe in his head. SHOOT THE ANGRY BIRD MONSTER DAMMIT!! NO SPEECHIFYING!!

The episode ends in the zoo (where they filmed Kiki’s Delivery Service several years later… Because somebody thought Kiki needed a pointless hippo subplot). Kazuki puts Riko’s spirit to rest, her actress vanishes, and that’s that. Apparently that’s done.

But the Memory Police aren’t done. Angry lady vanishes from the Night Raiders. Apparently hunting Faust’s human form. If she’s not found soon she will be gathered up by the Memory Police and mindwiped.

…really? Doesn’t that require them to actually do their job with some degree of competence?!? No way!! Anyway that seems to be the next drama. Spoiler. Kazuki probably won’t become Ultraman until disc 4. Sigh. Stay tuned.

Tsuburaya Ultraman Nexus Episode 15 Review

Even Looking At Each Episode Synopsis Nothing Makes Sense
You know the old saying? If you really wanted to make sense of things you’d work in a bank. Puns about coins aside, you might as well work in a bank. You’ll no more understand this show now than you would surrounded by all the coins in the bank.

The episode reminds you that a new Kaiju Has appeared. This Kaiju apparently cannot function properly without inserting a human into its brain. Why? Not for the humans smarts.

First time it happened it absorbed a young girl. Who managed to survive the Kaiju going boom. Somehow. The second absorbed this episode? A human adult male who works in the electric dept.

I think these Kaiju, when they grow massive, lose lower brain functions. Their brain may supercharge the parts used in fighting, shutting down the autonomous parts that control vital body systems.

I think they need a sentient plugged into their brain to act as the autonomous regulator keeping their body functioning while in Kaiju mode. If course the episode doesn’t say it. I inferred it.

This is also to remind us that Konom Kazuki has been traumatized by harming a girl while killing a Kaiju. Notes for the episode says he’s going to be considered for removal from the group because of his PTSD inhibiting his murder instinct… Really.

Other than plot convenience? And the fact this guy met Ultraman Nexus once? Is that good reason to hire a guy with zero killer instincts? By the way, lest we forget? His girlfriend is also dead. This organization sucks when it comes to offering mental health to the staff.

By the way only now has Ultraman Nexus’ human started showing up to mentor Kazuki. It’s almost as if the show suddenly remembered that Kazuki is supposed to become Ultraman eventually.

Sure. Why not. The present Ultraman Nexus isn’t really much of a part of the alien invasion plot. He’s mostly focused on Ultraman Faust. Which is a bit much especially since we learned both Ultramen’s humans are tied to always angry girl… What’s her name.

Also? Apparently the qualifying factor to be an Ultraman in this universe is you must suffer from this much PTSD to be Ultraman. Really… You too Ultra Father? Doesn’t anyone appreciate proper mental health care in this universe?

So yeah. Kazuki is now being mentored by Ultraman Nexus’ human. Which is being spied on by that secret leader of TLT. Guess it won’t be a secret then when Kazuki becomes Nexus.

Another Kaiju augment arrives, and jacks a male electrical worker as its brain augment. The Night Raiders respond, and so does Kazuki. Despite the fact he should have been pulled from roster due to PTSD… Oh right. This show is Ultra-Edgelord. Ugh.

Confronted with another Augment Kaiju, Kazuki flashes back to the previous fight. And harming that girl. His PTSD paralyzes him.. Huh? The Kaiju? It’s also parakyzed. Apparently it’s only violent when properly stimulated by being attacked? Huh?

His team show up to fight it but it decides to retreat for some reason. Why? Not because of Nexus. Yeah. He showed up to fight, but he got drawn into subspace by Faust, and spends the tail end of the episode fighting Faust.

At the end of the episode? Suzuki is confronted by his team for freezing up while confronting the Augment Kaiju, due to his PTSD. You know. As you would expect someone like him to do.

So they’re considering drumming him out of the team. Which means he will be brutalized by the Memory Police. Seriously? The Memory Police? You want to steal from Men In Black, and that weak ass title was the best you could come up with?!?

Anyway Kazuki is teased in the synopsis as maybe seriously considering having the MemPolice give him a standard wash and trim of his memories. Just a bit off the top. Will this actually seen like a big scene? Or will the shows Edgelordery ruin the moment? Guess you will find out tomorrow. See you.

Birdie Wing Episode 12 Review

A Lot Of Build Up Signifying… Not Much.
So let’s see. From the start of the third arc they built up this new tournament. Building up to this confrontation with the best High School level lady golfers of Japan.

So… Would you be surprised to find out that this is a lot of build up which won’t pay off until Season 2? Yeah. This feels like it won’t really be resolved in this finale of Season 1.

I guess that’s fine. It leads to a new season eventually and I’m ok with it. But as such there is no real incentive to review Episode 13. Not yet. Not until we have Season 2 in hand and ready to review.

Yeah yeah. That will take awhile. Not just the wait for it to be streamed, but it to be released from the US/UK Bootlegger in physical DVD release for me to buy and review. So this may take awhile to resolve.

This release is kinda rough. After seeing all the episodes it looks like these DVDs suffer from synching issues. With the subtitles either lagging, flashing by too fast, or occasionally not appearing. Considering how basic this DVD release is? How did they do this?

I don’t think this is a sign that the bootleggers made their own subs. These days bootleggers are way too lazy to actually do their own subs. I’m done cases? Like Komi? A hand made fresh sub might actually be superior to the Netflix sub.

I think this is a sign that they recorded the master copy for this bootleg off an unreliable WI-FI signal. The lag issues seems to be a sign to me that they made the master copy using a fluctuating WI-FI that stuttered as they recorded.

To be fair to the Chinese Malaysian bootleggers? They put more effort into their master copies that they rip for their DVDs. The only time quality fails is when they bootleg long disc space eating series like Kamen Rider series. And jam more than they should per disc.

A standard DVD disc? Cannot hold a dozen episodes like any Kamen Rider series. The major drawback of doing this is that the bootleggers have to bitcrush the episodes to fit in each disc. These make Kanen Rider bootlegs vastly inferior to an Authentic release.

This is fine. Even packing 7 & 6 episodes on each disc doesn’t require them to be bitcrushed. So quality is at least passable. It’s not 4K superior. But it is acceptable.

So you probably noticed that we are not talking yet about the tournament. That’s because not much happens. Yes. We do see the new two lady rivals of the series. Twice. Commenting on what’s going on without actually being in the tournament.

This feels like it’s trying to tease how Eve & Aoi won’t be a good fit as partners. But we already know they’ll be a great team in Season 2. Sigh. Episode 13 is a Match Point tournament in school. This I guess is supposed to strain the friendship of Aoi & Eve. Yeah.

This episode we see that they are already an odd couple. Aoi killing Eve with her infectious kindness and joy. But even so. By the end of the tournanent, and yes it ends fast, they’re grumpy at each other? Do much so Aoi’s Caddy/Watcher fears she’s ruining her image.

I think the most unexpected bond formed in this episode is between the loveable goofy Caddy Ichina… Izzy!!… And Aoi’s Caddy. A kind of odd couple all their own, with Ichina doing it manually and Aoi’s Caddy trusting technology more than her own senses.

Yeah. They would end up being friends. Which feels like this is building up to the Caddys working to mend whatever breakage happens in the two’s friendship. Ugh.

Yeah for all the build-up the tournament ends fast, and with no surprises. Aoi & Eve win. Then we have a time jump of two weeks. It’s back to school life… Implied but not shown.

We have a brief cameo by the mom/daughter (former caddy) (her old family back in Europe), and the introduction of thevMatch Point tournanent. Where both golfers must work in unison to win.

Huh? You mean the Anime Team slipped? They forgot that Eve and her former family were supposed to be talking in English for this scene? Just ascwell. Eve’s one time talking English sounded too unnatural, especially for one who learned English for several years.

So I guess that’s that. I’ll be keeping an eye on E-Bay and watching for Season 2. Stay tuned for updates. Anyway we are ready for one more review before February and Case Closed Season 2. What shall it be? Good question… Hmm… Stay tuned.

Birdie Wing Episode 11 Review

When You Are Pushed To The Breaking Point…
So this is a tale of being pushed past ones limits, the sin of the senior staff guy who sacrificed someone he cared for to obtain victory, and another family member joining the Plot conspiracy.

The episode starts with Aoi, and her caddy slash mentor/watcher. She’s getting ready for that new tournament the show is building up towards. But her mind is on Eve.

Apparently every time they want to duel, Aoi’s schooling or responsibilities calls her away. By the end of the episode you learn Aoi is a Freshman First Year student. So yeah. All her extra duties are family based.

We meet Aoi’s overtly stereotyped grandfather. An old Japanese male who… Raised a foreign girl (the mom) since she was young? We learn that by glimpsing two pictures prominently displayed in his home.

By the end of the episode, and yes I’m sure this surprised nobody, we find out that he’s as intent on the school winning as the mom. Why? Guess that gets revealed in Episode 13.

So. We already know that Evangeline (Eve) has been roped into being a part of this tournament. But she needs one more year to make sure she’s ready. Enter the President of the Golf Club of the school. A female golfer on a sabbatical from golf due to Golfer’s Elbow. A common golf ailment.

Except we learn that this is from that guy who we’ve seen moving heaven and earth to get Eve in the school, then the tournament. Pushing her past her limits until she ended up with a possibly career ending elbow injury.

So this lays at our feet the question. Why is beating this new tournament such a no compromise all or nothing affair? During Eve & Izzy’s training (as golfer and caddy) we are introduced briefly to the big opponent Eve will face. The rival golfer this tournament will be hinging on overcoming.

These drills that the injured lady takes Eve & Izzy on seems normal. Except she decides to play the role of Uatu the Watcher. And pits the pair against a ton of hardcore worst case What If scenarios.

This seems harsh. Like she’s there to bully Eve… Unless you are open minded to the fact she’s intensively drilling Eve in a ton of worst case What If scenarios. Preparing her for a great deal of possible scenarios that could go wrong.

For her part? She has a in her mind (for the sake of us the audience) talk. She is fully aware that she’s pushing Eve hard. But compared to how hard she was pushed, ending up with maybe a career ending injury? She might not be pushing too hard.

For my part? I think I would like to see this lady have a story in Season 2. Her climb from injury, self doubt, self hate and blame, to recovery and returning to get golfing prime. That would be nice.

Anyway since we have another training montage? That further cuts into the opportunities for Eve and Aoi to duel… And yes I considered the fact maybe the small blonde lady in grandfather’s pictures was Evangeline and not the mother. But we shall see…

Anyway all this. A long road of manipulation, bartering, using a woman until she was broken, and 3-D Shogi playing politics? All leads to Aoi and Eve being teamed for the tournament.

The episode ends with the pair finally teeing off against each other. This scene is basically the one we have seen in the opening credits all season. We even have the senior guy tell them to just golf and stop chatting.

Too late. The end credits run, as I thought they would, and the episode ends. That means the season ends on a two part tournament where Aoi and Eve compete together for the first time.

So how will this two parter go as we wrap up Season 1? Guess we will find out soon, as we review Episode 12 tomorrow. Coming up.

Ok. Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Yes. I will order the Season 2 DVD once those bootlegging bootleggers release it. First I’ll look at the even more ridiculous sport of Women Racing… It when young Japanese girls think they’re Equis Horse Women. Pretty Derby.

The show that doesn’t even care it’s not realistic. Girls running in races against each other, with horse DNA, ears, and tails… WHAT!!! Sigh… Great. I’m reviewing some creators Rule34 dream made real.

This year in the non Case Closed front? We review Pretty Derby Season 1, finish The Ultraman 1979, FINALLY review Hazbin Hotel Season 1 (get booked in… Hell?), and more. This year. See you.